Mist and Mystery at Calormen's Grove
by Ibaraz
Summary: Set after the events of Prince Caspian. The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia - without an explanation as to how or why! With Caspian's aid, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy must figure out the reason behind their return before the mystery consumes them, while struggling with the effects of being back in Narnia once more. Caspian/Susan.
1. A Moment of Interrupted Peace

_A/N: After watching Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, I was intrigued by the faint outline of a romantic story presented for Caspian and Susan (however far from the books it was). __This story is my attempt at taking what the movies started - and continue spinning the wheel of that. This story takes place three years after Prince Caspian (Narnian time) and thus "replaces"Voyage of the Dawn Treader._

_I've read the Narnia books as a child - over 10 years ago, and can't say I remember much. So there are few nods to the written stories in this, though I'm attempting to do my research. If this doesn't follow book details that fans are expecting, I simply want to point out that it is not my intention to degrade the wonderful works of Lewis at all. This is merely my version of something that could have been in the movies. _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to Disney, Warner Brothers, C S Lewis and/or anyone else affiliated with the amazing works. _

_Story: After the events of Prince Caspian, the four Pevensie siblings return to Narnia - without any explanation. With Caspian's aid, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy must realize the reason of their return before the mystery consumes them. This turns out to be a harder challenge than their previous turns to Narnia as they battle their emotions, new foes and each other. Caspian/Susan._

_**EDIT**: Will be editing/rewriting parts of this story as of Sept 2013._

_Also, for this story the ages of the Pevensies are as follows: Peter 19, Susan 18, Edmund 16, Lucy 14._

* * *

**Chronicles of Narnia: Mist and Mystery at Calormen's Grove**

**1. A moment of interrupted peace**

The gentle breeze of the cool, playful wind swept past the open landscape, making the grass on the field dance back and forth in slow concord. It was almost like a soft waltz, yet with playful twists and turns, taking the grass every which way by gentle, steering puffs of fresh air.

Susan Pevensie tilted her head to the side as she watched the green field dance to the unsung tunes only the wind could hear. For a second she allowed herself to indulge in memories of Narnia, the wonderful, magical land she'd left behind little over a year ago. Almost as soon as the happy memories of her past as Queen of Narnia had entered her mind, as soon did she attempt to repress them once more. Thinking about that past would only hurt for she was well aware that she would never see the land again. Aslan, the might lion, had said so himself during her last visit. Neither Susan nor her elder brother Peter would ever return but had instead been forced to say their final farewell to the land that had been their home.

Susan's future was in _the_ _real world._ The sooner she could forget about those joyous and adventurous days in the far-off fairy tale land, the better.

Their last adventure, which had taken place many years after the Pevensie siblings Golden Age in Narnian time, had been because of one young man's call for aid. The young Prince Caspian had required assistance in gaining his rightful throne and in the end had succeeded with the help of the Pevensie siblings, making Susan and Peter's goodbye to Narnia possible.

Susan could still remember dark, piercing eyes scrutinizing her both curiously and timidly at the same time. A handsome, thin face that still needed to grow a bit before it would mature into the face of a strong king, but with the determined chin to make it all the way. Caspian had expressed worry at the time that he had not been ready for the task ahead, but Aslan had seen what everyone else, too, had realized existed in the prince's heart – due to his honest doubts and caring hand, Caspian would be the right man for the throne of Narnia.

The Pevensie girl wondered how much time had passed in Narnia since that adventure and if the young king perhaps had turned old and grey already. Compared to English time, Narnian time seemed to gallop by so swiftly. Susan and her siblings had been back in England for three years before Caspian had called them back, while 1300 years had passed in Narnia. Now when another year had passed in England, it was highly possible that the reign of the Telmarine king had ended long ago. The solemn thought did little to pull Susan's mind from her memories.

"When will we be there?" Lucy's voice pulled the elder girl back to reality.

Susan found herself once more in the passenger seat of their parents' old car alongside her siblings and realized they had passed the green field minutes ago. On either side of the car she could but see the thick forest of the country side and smell the spruces faintly through the open window.

"Impatient, are we, sis?" Peter asked from behind the wheel. There was a twinkle to his pale eyes as he glanced at his youngest sister in the back seat where she sat next to the dark haired Edmund.

"Not at all, brother," the young girl retorted without missing a beat as she tugged on the sleeve of her knitted cardigan. "You are just the slowest driver in England, is all."

Susan saw Edmund conceal a chuckle by turning his head to look out the window, acting as innocent as they all knew he wasn't. The eldest boy noticed this, too, but refrained from making a remark as he shot Susan a tired eye roll and kept on driving on the narrow, gravel road.

They'd left the city hours ago, heading for their uncle's country side house for the last remains of summer. The purpose of this visit was not, however, to spend time with the relative, but rather to spend quality time with each other. For all they knew, this could be their very last time together in a long time. In one week's time, their parents would fly off to travel around America and had asked Susan to accompany them. Not long after, Peter would leave for college across the country, which would surely keep him occupied and unable to visit his younger siblings.

The trip had been entirely Lucy's idea and the others had found it marvelous. It was a brilliant way to sort of say farewell to each other, at least for the time being. Who knew where they would all be next time they were reunited after this summer.

As far as Lucy's remark on her brother's driving, well, it was rather warranted. Peter Pevensie had only gotten his driver's license a month earlier and drove quite carefully along the twisting country roads, at least when his siblings were in the car with him.

"You never answered my question, Peter," the youngest girl pressed on with a sigh as she leaned forward to have a better look at her brother's focused profile.

"I'd say about another hour's drive, Lu." Which meant it was probably closer to two.

"Well, if it's going to be such a long time anyway, why not stop and take a break?"

"I thought you wanted to get there quickly?" Susan asked in amusement and smiled at her baby sister.

"Lucy's right," Edmund interjected from his side of the car. "I'm bored of this long, long_, loooong_ drive" – he emphasized the word as Peter harrumphed indignantly – "and there is that nice pond up ahead. We could take the picnic Su packed us, eat and swim. We'd just be a little while later than expected."

Susan pondered his suggestion and had to agree the idea sounded charmingly delightful. The sun was shining bright on the skies up ahead and they were all getting stiff from the car ride. A quick glance at her elder brother told her that the handsome, young man was thinking as she was. The two of them exchanged a glance and eventually Peter nodded once.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. I wouldn't mind a swim."

* * *

"Do you have to eat it all in one bite, Edmund? It looks disgusting."

The boy looked up from his tuna sandwich at his elder sister with wide, pale eyes. With cheeks sticking out like a hamsters because of the amount of food there, he merely managed, "How fo, Fufan?"

Susan rolled her eyes and gave her brother a scolding look as she handed him a napkin. "Swallow first, talk after, Edmund."

"Wha'? _I'm hungry_!" the boy whined back and swallowed the last of his sandwich. With an unsubtle movement, he glanced behind at the picnic basket and then back up at his sister. "Got anymore?"

Without waiting for a reply, Edmund leaned over the basket and searched through its contents roughly. His features positively beamed as he pulled out an apple and proceeded to munch on it as Susan sighed exasperatedly.

"How can you still be hungry? You've already eaten both of your sandwiches _and_ one of mine. Is there no end to your stomach?"

"I'm a growing man, Su. I have to eat."

"Growing more stupid, that is," Peter joked and the younger brother turned a playful scowl in his direction, the apple in his hand soon forgotten.

"You'll pay for that, you know," Edmund threatened, the threat itself loosing its edge as his eyes twinkled under the ashen sunlight. In one swift move, the boy stood from the ground and threw himself at the eldest Pevensie. The two boys wrestled and though Edmund had grown almost to Peter's size, he was still not quite a match for the elder brother as far as strength went.

They rolled towards the pond while the girls called out warnings to them. Thankfully the siblings were all already wearing their underpants in prepartion for a swim, as Peter pushed his brother into the pond and cheered victoriously up on dry land. After a few seconds, Edmund resurfaced with a giant gasp, splashing water all around him.

"It's colder than I expected!" he gasped as his sisters laughed from their seats.

With an amused smirk, Peter reached out a hand to help his brother out of the pond, but in the very last second pulled his hand away having seen the mischievous look in the younger man's eyes.

"You thought you could pull me in, did you, brother? I'm too clever to fall for that trick!" the elder teased as Lucy silently crawled towards him from behind. With a swift leap, the young girl threw herself at her brother and dragged them both into the depths of the pond. Edmund roared with laughter as a spluttering Peter broke the surface a few seconds later, Lucy in tow.

"It's definitely deeper than I thought! I didn't even touch bottom," the eldest Pevensie gulped and then turned his eyes towards Lucy. He pushed the soaked hair from his eyes before he pointed a threatening finger in her direction. "I'll get even for that some day, you know!"

Edmund swiftly stopped his brother from getting his revenge by a hand to the shoulder and a whispered word into Peter's ear. Suddenly, both of the boys turned their attention to the only dry sibling still up on the grassy slope. As the eldest boy swam to the shore and pulled himself onto the ground, Susan's smile immediately vanished from her full lips.

"Peter, don't…" she warned and raised a hand in her soaked brother's direction as he came towards her. She knew her pleas were useless as determine shone bright on his features, mixed a little bit of devilry on the corner of his mouth. "Don't you dare! _Peter_!"

She squealed as he grabbed for her and ducked out of reach just in time, rolled onto her knees and swiftly shot up to her feet.

"Get her, Peter!" Edmund howled as the eldest brother chased their sister across the grass.

The dark-haired beauty shrieked as Peter's soaked hands nearly caught her and in desperation, Susan steered closer to the pond. With no other route to escape, she was forced to jump in on her own accord. Peter cannon-balled into the dark water right next to her and soon pulled her into a water fight along with their younger siblings. For a brief moment all of their future worries where left to another time, and they reverted to four carefree children having a blast together in the summer heat.

Suddenly, Peter raised a hand in signal for the others to stop. Edmund splashed him with a final wave before he noticed the frown on his brother's face. As both boys calmed, the girls soon followed and noticed the tension shift in their small group.

"Do you see that?" the eldest boy breathed as he looked towards something at the bottom of the pond.

"Are you trying to fool us?" Edmund asked suspiciously and swam a foot further away from his brother, just in case he was up to something devilish.

"Would you just have a look?"

Susan, Edmund and Lucy did as their brother had asked and saw a warm light down at the bottom. It was nothing like mud or rocks even though it seemed so far below them. Instead it was as bright as the water close to a surface lit by a bright sun. The siblings watched the glow entranced and found they could not quite gaze anywhere else.

"What is that?" Susan asked distantly with a faint smile. She wasn't sure why, but the warmth of the light reminded her of something and it made her happy.

"I don't know…" her elder brother replied just as Edmund took a great gulp of air and dove under.

"Edmund!" the elder sister shouted and looked down into the water but she couldn't see her brother anywhere. Not in the murkier parts close to their bodies or anywhere closer to the bottom by the light. If he was playing them a trick, he'd have to be a magician to pull off such a disappearing act. "Where did he go? Did anyone see where Edmund went? Is he trying to scare us, you think? _Edmund_!"

"Calm down, Su," her brother said though his frown was as concerned as Susan's voice had been.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Lucy said and dove after her brother.

Both Susan and Peter called after the young girl, but she too soon disappeared in the water and was nowhere to be found. The elder siblings exchanged a glance and even though no words were spoken so much more was said between their eyes. At last, the elder boy shrugged his wet shoulders.

"You can't be serious, Peter!"

"We have to, don't we, Susan?"

The young woman wanted to debate with him, tell him that they ought to stay behind just in case Edmund and Lucy resurfaced, but something stopped her. She couldn't deny the pull the light at the bottom held for her also. There was something so unmistakably familiar and yet curiously amazing about it, that she couldn't deny wanting to follow her siblings down there. Exchanging a final glance, the two of them inhaled and dove into the pond.

All sounds from the world above vanished as they swam deeper and deeper into the lake; the sound of the wind rustling the trees was gone, as was the beautiful singing of a larch that had been perched on a branch not far from them. The water pressed into her ears as Susan dove further down, following her brother into the depths of the pond which never seemed to end.

Then, suddenly, it was as if they were no longer swimming down, but rather upwards. The young woman couldn't understand it but she could swear that the closer she got towards the bottom, the closer she seemed instead to come towards a surface. She could feel a warmer sun shine upon the waters than the one she'd just dove from in England, and this spurred her to swim faster.

Up by the "surface" Susan suddenly noticed Lucy and Edmund's floating forms and steered towards them. She broke the surface not long after Peter and breathlessly tried to calm her wildly beating heart as her ears rang from the pressure of the long dive. As the warm, huge sun blinded her, Susan squinted and gulped for air. She was surprised to recognize salty water on her tongue and coughed at the unexpected taste.

"Susan! Peter! You're here!" Lucy's voice was clearly surprised as she took notice of her elder siblings.

"Of course we're here," the eldest brother responded in an equally shocked voice as he floated closer to his youngest sibling to make sure she was alright. When she nodded in reassurance, Peter brushed the wet hair from his eyes and tried to gaze about him as he once more addressed his siblings, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because…" Edmund began from somewhere on Susan's right and his voice was almost hesitant as he explained, "We're not in England anymore. I think we're back in Narnia!"

Sure enough, they had left the small, cold pond and were now floating aimlessly in the middle of a vast, open ocean. Clearly, they were not in England anymore.

"How can that be?" Susan called in a shrill voice to Peter who floated on her left with an unreadable look upon his features. "Aslan said we would _never_ return!"

"It doesn't matter right now," came the reply as her brother pointed up at something behind the others. "We're about to get company."

The siblings all turned around in the water and saw an impressive ship with large, dark sails approaching them with great speed.

* * *

_To be continued._


	2. The Dawn Treader

**2. The Dawn Treader **

The four siblings floated closer together, unsure what or who they would find on this huge ship. They had no idea of knowing how much time had passed in Narnia during their year in England, or if the crew members aboard the ship were even friend or foe. As the ship came closer, they could make out raised voices calling out both to the four in the water, and to others up on the deck.

The great vessel mastered the waters upon it sailed much like a dolphin, breaking through the waves with ease. The ship itself was huge and seemed a distant memory of the Golden Age when the Pevensies had been kings and queens. The ship was of the richest, darkest wood, with details of fine gold and deep naval blue. At the very front was a fierce, wooden dragon's head, keeping its crew safe from harm on the seas. One large deep blue sail was held up in the wind upon the mainmast and upon the fabric was a majestic crest.

"It's Narnian!" Lucy gasped in relief as she recognized the embroidered crest of Narnia on the sail. "It's a Narnian ship!"

"Let's hope that's a good thing," Peter whispered under his breath, still not ready to let the crest be enough to let down his guard.

The ship reached their side and slowed down. Many strange faces appeared by the railing and there was not one crew member whom the Pevensies recognized from first glance. They were mildly comforted however by the surprised awe upon the strangers' faces and their peaceful approach to them.

Suddenly a voice spoke above all the others with a strong accent that was undeniably familiar. A recognizable figure suddenly appeared in the midst of the crew members and jumped onto the railing with the grace of a lion.

"King Caspian!" Lucy smiled widely as Susan gasped gently in surprise.

"Your highnesses!" the Telmarine king shouted back just as surprised as Lucy had sounded. The tall man was dressed in a deep purple shirt and wide seafarer pants that flowed around his legs in the gentle breeze. A frown appeared on Caspian's face, but he wasted no time as he turned and called out orders to the crew. Everyone seemed to jump out if their trance-like awe as they heard their commander. There was commotion all over deck as they prepared to aid the kings and queens in the sea.

Caspian himself hesitated not as he dove into the ocean below. With strong, confident arms he swam over to the Pevensies while behind him a rope ladder was thrown over the railing of the ship.

The Telmarine king stopped a few feet before his friends and greeted them, "Your majesties. Forgive me, I was not expecting you. Most definitely not like this. Are you alright?"

"We're fine, Caspian," Peter assured and raised a drenched hand in the ship's direction. "But we'd be even better if we got out of the water."

"Drier, at least," Edmund corrected with a nod.

"Of course, come."

They swam over to the ship and Caspian swiftly helped Lucy get a firm hold of the ladder. As she climbed up, the king then turned his gaze to Susan. As their gazes locked, the king's hand reached out to her with some hesitation. His accent was thick and warm as he breathed, "My queen, you're next."

The young woman swam over to the ladder and as she began her ascension, she felt Caspian's guiding hand on her back for a short second, but then it was gone. Perhaps, she told herself as she climbed aboard, it had been but a wished fantasy on her part. The crew members helped her up and she thanked them before hurrying over to Lucy's side. A crew member threw a couple of blankets over their shoulders and the Pevensies flashed him a warm smile. The fabric helped Susan from shivering in the breeze but still she held her younger sister close to her chest.

"Sorry to drop in like this," Edmund excused them as he climbed up shortly after. He accepted the blanket offered to him with a nod of the head. "We just dove right into this."

Peter climbed aboard then, followed close behind by Caspian. "It's quite alright," the Narnian king spoke with his thick accent making itself known and familiar again. The two men accepted blankets offered before the king turned back to his new guests. "It's a pleasant surprise, I assure, but a surprise nonetheless."

His eyes sought out Susan's briefly and she could very well imagine what was going through his mind.

_I'm afraid that's just it. We're not coming back. _She'd said those words herself last time in explanation of what Aslan had told her and Peter. And yet, here they were.

"Believe me; we're as surprised as you are. But it's good to be back," the eldest Pevensie assured as Caspian turned his gaze to the High king. The two men greeted each other properly as equals, grasping each others forearms in a brotherly (though wet) hand shake, before embracing each other in a hug.

"So, you didn't call for us?" Lucy asked in mild confusion as the two boys stepped apart and turned to her.

The Telmarine king shook his head once. "No. Queen Susan's Horn is in safe storage at Cair Paraval. As far as I am aware, no one has called you back."

"So _why are_ _we here_?" Susan questioned with a small frown upon her forehead.

With a smile reminiscent of an excuse, Caspian gazed across the space at her. "I know not, your highness. But please, I believe you must be getting cold in these wet clothes, and the wind is not too pleasant. Let us find you something dry to wear."

Susan looked down at the thin linen dress she had worn under her clothes in England; she'd completely forgotten that they had all basically been dressed in their underwear. She could see her pale bra through the wet fabric that clung to her slim curves. Suddenly, the young woman felt very exposed and felt the heat rising to her cheeks. Judging by the clearing of throats beside her, her siblings felt the same way about their own appearance and shuffled from one foot to the other. The crew around them however was respectful enough to keep silent and seemed, indeed, to politely avert their eyes. Nonetheless, Susan inconspicuously rolled herself into the blanket, wearing it like a toga over her wet undergarment.

"Let me show you to my cabin, my queens," Caspian said and even his cheeks seemed somewhat tainted by a faint blush, though he masterly hid it behind a confident stance. "I know just who can help me look for spare clothes for you. I am afraid however that all I can offer are men's wear."

"That's quite alright," Susan smiled reassuringly, though it was to the top of the man's head as he bowed to them. "It's very kind of you. Thank you, Caspian."

As she spoke his name, the young man's eyes shot up and met hers once more. There was an unreadable look in his dark, entrancing orbs but it was only present for a mere second and soon covered behind a mask of impassive dignity. It was a look Susan recognized only too well for it was one all four Pevensies had developed as regents of Narnia. It was a look that came with many trying times, a look that once mastered allowed you to keep a straight face in any royal matter.

Now that she properly had a chance to look at him, Susan could see that the king had grown. His wet, dark hair seemed to be almost the same length as last time, but his handsome chin was adorned by a short beard that seemed to have grown after a couple of weeks on the sea. His posture spoke of a man who'd matured since their last meeting and he stood both taller and his frame was more confident than last time. The prince she had first met had now developed into a young, confident king. She wanted to hear so much more about his story, about how he had developed from an unsure teenager into the man and king that stood before her. For now, the young woman contained her questions for she much preferred not to ask in front of the whole crew.

Susan's heart skipped a beat when Caspian suddenly discarded his blanket to exchange a word with a man in the crew. The king's dark, wet shirt clung to his own strong arms and chest. He hadn't had those muscles last time around, had he? Forcing herself to look away, the young Pevensie woman focused on appreciating the embroidered sail up above.

"Your highnesses!" a distinguished voice called out from somewhere below. Lucy's eyes sparkled and a smile spread across her lips at she turned in the direction of the voice.

"_Reepicheep_!" she squealed in delight as the large mouse stepped out on his hind legs from behind a few crew members. As he stepped forward, all four Pevensies turned to him with warm smiles on their faces and bowed their heads in greeting.

"Queen Lucy," Reepicheep smiled and bowed, too, taking off his hat as he did so to complete the gesture as a true gentlemouse. "It is most pleasant to see you again, Highnesses. You have been sorely missed."

"It's nice to see you, too, Reep," Edmund smiled. "How's life treating you?"

"Good. Very good," the mouse replied and opened his mouth as if to continue.

Caspian however stepped forward and interrupted, "Forgive me, but this conversation can wait until after you've changed into something dry. I am sure there are many questions to be answered, but I will not have any of you catch a cold because of ill manners on my behalf. Reepicheep, could you look for clothes for young Lucy as I show them to my cabin?"

"Certainly, sire," Reepicheep bowed to the young king and disappeared into the crowd once more. Caspian held out his arm for Susan and Lucy, and they followed him away from the crew who instead turned their full attention on Peter and Edmund with many inquiries.

Caspian and the two Pevensie girls walked past a staircase that led below deck and instead headed towards the door to the cabin just below the upper deck. On either side of the ornate cabin doors were stairs leading up to the upper deck and the stern of the proud vessel. The sisters glimpsed the massive ship's wheel up on the upper deck and a few men dressed less like crew men on a ship and more like royal advisers that all bowed to the queens.

The sisters were left in awe by the design of the Narnian ship. It was so refined and beautiful, truly befitting of royalty, yet it was not over the top in any way. It spoke of power, but without bragging, of glory days, without losing grip of reality. It was simply impressive and seemed to fit Caspian well.

"This reminds me of our ship, Susan. Do you remember?" Lucy smiled and spun around on deck as she paused to appreciate the moment.

Caspian and Susan exchanged a smile at the young girl's merriment before the king turned towards the cabin. He grasped the handles of the wooden doors, the top halves of which were covered in beautifully painted glass, and pulled them open. He stepped inside before the queens and stood somewhat awkwardly by the door as they took in the royal cabin.

It wasn't as large as Susan had imagined. A wide bed stood at the centre against a wall and over by another stood a small, old fashioned closet. The length of the opposite wall was covered in painted windows. Just beside the door, beside the row of windows, stood a small, ornate table with a small blue chest upon it and a set of feather pens. A chair stood screwed to the floor beside it and it looked properly worn for a seafaring king.

The younger Pevensie strolled through the room and past the bed towards another door. It led out to a small balcony and Lucy happily stepped outside and leaned against the railing. As she did, she took in the view of the open sea and gratefully breathed in the fresh, salty air.

"It's beautiful, Caspian!" she called back but didn't turn around.

Inside the chamber, Susan once more turned to the king and the two of them exchanged small smiles.

"It really is, you know," the brunette agreed in a gentle voice.

"And it's yours now," the king spoke with equal gentleness. "You and Queen Lucy can share it for the remaining voyage, can't you?"

"Oh, there's no need… you shouldn't have to give up your cabin for us," Susan argued but when he looked at her with determination she knew there was no point arguing. "Thank you. You are too kind, your majesty."

"After everything we have been through," the king began and a slight grin adorned his features as he beheld the queen before him, "it is the least I can do."

In that moment, there was a knock on the door and Reepicheep entered carrying a pile of clothes so tall it reached well past the mouse's head. Caspian swiftly leaned down to help ease the load as Lucy called, "Susan, there are water spirits in the water! You must come look later!"

The elder sister released an amused breath but refrained from joining her sister outside. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed the mouse slipped outside to take a look with his old friend. Susan, meanwhile, politely watched as Caspian placed the clothes on the bed before her: a pair of dark brown pants, a pale shirt and a thigh long, orange-brown vest.

"These were tailored for a boy, one of the crew members wanted his son to come along," the king explained and stepped back to stand besides the Pevensie woman. "I believe they'll fit better than any clothes of mine on Queen Lucy. For you, Queen Susan, I am afraid I can offer only my own clothes."

Caspian turned to the closet and pulled out a pair of pale brown pants, and another white shirt, though this one a few sizes larger than the one meant for Lucy. Susan accepted the clothes from his waiting hands with a small curtsy. The king pulled his hands away and hesitated briefly as he gazed down at her.

"May I...?" he asked and slowly reached out for the blanket she wore. Susan felt her heart speed up in her chest as his hand closed around the fabric that rested on her shoulder. She mutely nodded and with a gentle tug, the fabric fell lose and Caspian leaned closer to gather it up in his arms. The brunette tried to hold her breath in vain, as her eyes rose to meet his.

His eyes held hers firmly and he made no inclination to let his gaze wander down her figure as both Lucy and Reepicheep appeared in the doorway to the balcony.

"Thank you, Caspian," the younger sister spoke as she walked over to the bed and the king pulled his gaze away from Susan's. With a regal bow, both Caspian and Reepicheep turned and left the two women alone in the cabin.

Susan watched the closed doors for a few seconds before she turned back to her sister, who in turn was gazing up at the elder girl with an amused twinkle to her eyes. The elder sister frowned as she stepped over and dropped her clothes onto the bed beside Lucy's.

"What?"

"You still like him," the young girl said in a teasing sing-song voice.

"I do not! Shut up, Luce," Susan muttered as she sank onto the soft covers and glared up at her younger sister.

"Whatever you say, sis," Lucy's voice was still too annoyingly amused for her sibling's taste and, not too surprisingly, there came another sly comment. "But he did look rather… dashing, didn't he?"

Feeling her cheeks burn as if aflame, Susan gazed down at the clothes and shrugged. "I guess."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh and quickly covered it by inspecting the clothes upon the bed. She lifted the long, dark pants she'd been given and grimaced. "These don't look particularly comfortable, much too tight and long for me. They're too feminine, much more your style, Su. And size, too. I'd prefer something baggier, more comfy. Why don't I take Caspian's pants? I'm sure there's a belt somewhere I can borrow."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Susan asked tiredly as she watched her sister set out in search for a belt.

"Nope!" came Lucy's swift response as she pulled a belt off a hanger by the closet.

The elder girl sighed as she pulled her wet dress over her head and looked down at the dry shirt before her. She hesitated before pulling it over her head. It fell warm and dry about her torso and was both quite large and very comfortable. She had to admit it was far more comfortable than the dresses she normally wore when in Narnia. She reached for the dark pants but stopped as her nose caught the scent of Caspian in the shirt she now wore. She tilted her nose down and took another sniff, just to make sure. It was a strong scent, musky and sweet at the same time. Definitely Caspian.

"... You okay?" Susan lifted her gaze and saw her sister on the other side of the bed looking back at her with a confused frown.

"I'm just fine!" the elder sibling assured hurriedly and turned her focus on the dark pants. "Just not entirely comfortable with the thought of these pants. I know they will just be too small for me. You want to make me insecure about my looks, do you?"

"You're beautiful, Su, how can that even be done?" Lucy huffed as she pulled off her own wet undergarment. As she pulled on the shirt, her voice was muffled by the shirt and Susan helped pull it over her sister's head. Lucy shook out her wet hair and Susan jumped back with a yelp as wet drops flew all around the young girl. "I'm glad we're back," the younger girl repeated what had been muffled by the shirt. "I wonder what Caspian's been up to since we left…"

"Well, if we hurry up, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to tell us. Put on some speed, will you."

* * *

_To be continued._


	3. The Voyage Stopped

**3. The Voyage Stopped**

"This is ridiculous," Susan muttered under her breath as she walked behind her sister up the stairs to the upper deck. She tugged on the dark pants and grimaced. "These pants _are_ too tight for me."

"They're just tight in comparison to your old dresses, they're not actually _tight_. You look beautiful, Su," Lucy assured with a mildly irritated sigh and glanced back. "Stop pulling on them!"

"I just hope I don't burst a seam," Susan breathed in jest. She had to agree, the child's pants did fit her surprisingly enough but were still tighter than the fashion she was used to both from old Narnia and back home in England. They were an inch too short, however, which Susan thought made for a rather amusing image. The baggy shirt with its loose sleeves ended just beneath her behind and she'd even found a blue belt that she wore atop of the blouse to try and fit in with the seafarer look. The blouse itself had a low v-front, but with two strings that Susan had tied together for a more covered look.

As opposed to herself, the seafarer look seemed to come naturally to Lucy. The pants the young girl wore hung quite loose on her smaller frame, Caspian was obviously taller and more muscular but still quite slender meaning it didn't look very absurd. The wide belt Lucy had found to wear on top with the reddish vest completed the look and made it look as if she belonged in the crew.

The upper deck was a quite large, simple area behind the ship's wheel, with a small portion on the starboard side of it intended for councils. There was a table there now with a large map of the known world spread out atop of it.

At the moment, Peter and Caspian stood leaned over the map; both dressed in dry clothes as well. Peter wore a pale brown shirt, that matched his hair, with a short-sleeved leather jerkin atop, pants as dark as Susan's and a wide belt around his waist. Caspian in turn wore a blue shirt and dark pants with knee high boots and his shoulder length hair, which still hadn't dried, pulled back into a messy knot. On the other side of the table stood three men the sisters recognized as the advisers who had bowed to them earlier - all of them wore white shirts, vests and baggy pants.

At the very back of the upper deck stood Edmund with a telescope binocular, facing the open sea with it in hand. He wore a simple white shirt and slimmer fitting pants than the two other kings as well as a wide belt and low boots. By his side stood Reepicheep who seemed to be pointing out directions for the Pevensie boy to look and explaining things to him about the journey.

All the men seemed oblivious to the two girls' presence even as they walked up behind the steering wheel. The mouse, in fact, was the first to notice them and bowed deeply. "My queens," he greeted and the others, at last, turned in their direction. "The seafarer look suits your majesties."

"Thanks," Susan said with a slight grimace as she crossed her legs, still a bit self-conscious about the look.

"Reepicheep is right, the looks does become you," Caspian said and cleared his throat. He pointed with his hands between the girls' pants. "You… are aware, though, I meant for that to be the other way around?"

The sisters shared a look. "Yes. We know," the elder beauty sighed and tucked a stray of her long, dark locks behind her ear.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" the Telmarine king breathed as he looked down and noticed their bare feet. He pointed beside them to the floor by the steering wheel where there stood two pair of boots. "Those are for you to wear."

The sisters grabbed a pair each and sat down to put the boots on as Caspian's gaze remained on them. The younger girl finished lacing on her low boots before her sister and walked over to the table to properly greet her old friend. With a smile she hugged the Telmarine king, who brotherly returned the embrace with equal fondness.

"It is truly great to see you again, Caspian," Lucy smiled as she stepped back and looked down at the map. "How much time has passed since we were last here, your highness?"

"How much older do you think I look?" the king retorted jokingly and stretched tall.

Caspian and Peter chuckled as the young brunette struck her best thinking pose. "…Five years?"

"I am flattered, but no," the current King of Narnia shook his head. "It's been three years."

"Well, I'm only a year older, so that's still quite a lot."

"Time's continuation where you are from is rather… _peculiar_. You have not changed one bit," Caspian commented and glanced back at Susan who was struggling with the strings that tied her dark boots in place.

"I would hope so!" Lucy said and the king turned back in surprise at the powerful emotion in the young queen's voice. "I've grown five inches since I was here last!"

"That's probably closer to _three_ inches, Luce," Peter joked and brotherly ruffled her hair. She pushed his arm away with a tired sigh and walked over to join her other brother and Reepicheep at the stern.

"How are you doing with the boots, Queen Susan?" the Telmarine king asked as he kept his gaze on the map.

"Don't embarrass me," her cheeks blushed the color of a heather bloom in late spring. "It's been 1300 years since I last wore sea boots like these, I can't quite remember how to lace them correctly according to Narnian tradition.…I can't believe I've forgotten how to tie my boots."

Edmund let out a sound that sounded a lot like a chortle, but made no other sign of acknowledging what was transpiring behind him as he kept his attention solely on whatever he saw through the telescope binocular. Caspian smiled in pity for the young queen and took one step in her direction when Reepicheep jogged past him. Susan smiled down in gratitude at the mouse as he helped her with the string, though the red color still stained her cheeks and she refused to meet anyone's gaze.

"Tell me…" Peter began and the king beside him tore his eyes back to the map. "What has become of Narnia since our last visit?"

With a proud smile, the elder man retold his tale, "I am glad that despite of your absence, there is peace throughout the known lands. There was a dispute with the giants last year by the northern frontier, but we gave them a good beating. Because of it, Narnia has regained its respect and the giants will think twice before challenging us again."

"Yes, the giants' stubbornness I'm familiar with, I fought them once in the past, too... It's nice to hear you've taken good care of Narnia," the eldest Pevensie nodded and mentally approved of Narnia's development and protection under the young king. Though, Peter knew, with three years having passed in Narnia, while only one in England, Caspian was actually one year older than he was.

The Telmarine king gazed down at his friend. "If it was not going so well, I would not have left on _the Dawn Treader_, leaving Narnia in the capable hands of Trumpkin, the dwarf. Perhaps you remember him?"

"Oh, you don't forget a red-dwarf like Trumpkin in a year," Edmund said warmly and turned his back to the view as he handed the binocular over to Lucy. She gladly took up his spot and looked about her through the lens.

"Where are we anyway?" Susan asked when Reepicheep finished helping her. She stood gracefully from the wooden floor and walked over to the table to stand between her brother and Caspian, the latter shuffled sideways to give her a chance to look down at the map. "Where's _the Dawn Treader_ heading?"

"For the Lone Islands and beyond, in search of seven lost lords who were once loyal to my father," the Telmarine explained with distant determination. "They were sent away by my uncle Miraz to seek out new land beyond the Eastern Ocean. I am on a quest to find these noble lords to discover what has become of them in the many years since their forced departure."

"Eastern Ocean," Susan echoed with an understanding nod as she crossed her arms over her chest and gazed up at the tall king beside her. "How far?"

"We left Narnian water just last week," Reepicheep informed as he climbed onto the table and jumped over to the Eastern Ocean on the map to point out their destination for the two siblings.

"Beyond the Lone Islands awaits the end of the world," the eldest Pevensie pointed out as his fingers traced along that part of the map. "Will you sail that far to find these seven lords?"

"Yes," Reepicheep's voice was filled with much admiration as he spoke, "And then to Aslan's world, perhaps."

"We _were_ heading in that direction," Caspian corrected the mouse before he turned his head to the Pevensies beside him. "Now, I'm not so sure anymore. I am disturbed upon my voyage by your presence. Last time you said that you two would not return, and I understood this was Aslan's belief, too. Now that you are here - well, all four of you for that matter - I begin to fear for Narnia's safety."

"Yeah..." Edmund began as he walked over to join the group by the table. "We tend to have that affect on people. No welcome party then?"

"You know what I meant, king Edmund," the elder king spoke with an apologetic look to his dark eyes. "I believe we ought to return home."

"What of the seven lords?" Susan asked in a low voice from his side. "You may not find them if you turn back now."

"Protecting that which I already am obligated to protect is my mission first hand, milady," Caspian told her. "I cannot risk my people if the consequences are dire, not even for this mission. I can always sail this route later. For Narnia, there might not be a 'later' unless we return."

"And what if we were sent here to aid you on your mission of finding the seven lords?" Lucy questioned as she turned around to join the conversation. To this, the Telmarine king had no reply.

Instead, Caspian leaned heavily against the table and gazed at the vast map before him. The young queen had a valid point and it was one that had stirred within his mind already. He had been set upon this mission with all his heart, even having taken an oath to fulfill it, but now his decisiveness was waning. He had for a long time wondered if a part of his destiny awaited him beyond the East. Still, he knew that if it was meant to happen, he would find a way to cross the oceans another time. For now, he had to walk another path in life.

"I believe we write our own destinies and that one choice does not necessarily mean having to abandon another," he spoke to the others without looking up. "I have promised to find the seven lords, but by postponing it I am not surrendering the option. The day is simply not today. I cannot put my people at risk so we will turn the ship back. It is decided."

The king pushed away from the table and stretched tall, as if having found the inner strength to convince himself of his decision. The Pevensies could fully see how he'd grown not only as a king, but as a man, in the past three years. His eyes were harder and more confident without any cruelty or injustice within their depths. The young, dark man turned around and stepped towards the steering wheel when suddenly Lucy was by his side, a spirited twinkle in her pale eyes that had her face aglow. The Telmarine faltered and looked down at the young queen with a question in his eyes.

"May I?" she inquired.

Caspian frowned before realization hit him. With an amused grin he held out his arm and thus indicated his approval. The shorter girl smiled and handed the telescope binocular over to him. Then she stalked over to the large wheel; which was almost taller than the queen herself. She rolled up the wide sleeves of her shirt. "Left or right?" she asked.

"We're turning all about," the king said from somewhere behind her. "You choose."

"Oh, right," Lucy nodded in determination and faced the obstacle at hand. Peter and Susan exchanged an amused look as their youngest sister took hold of the wheel. She pulled on the wooden handles but it budged only by a hair's breadth.

"Need a hand, sister?" her eldest brother teased. "Is the wheel too big for teeny, tiny Lucy to turn?"

"Shut up," the girl muttered and tried again. This time, she put most of her weight behind it and to a much greater success. The heavy wheel turned and Lucy tugged harder to finish the full lap. She managed two full laps of the giant wheel before she allowed Caspian to take over.

The young man stood much more in control of his ship and turned the wheel with more ease. After a few more turns of the wheel the ship began to turn fully around upon the hard waves.

"You did good, Lucy," Edmund smiled as his baby sister sank onto the floor beside him. Too exhausted to retort after the struggle, the young Pevensie merely did the thumbs up in return.

* * *

As the sun set against the western horizon that night, coloring the sea a remarkable mix of blue, green and orange, Caspian leaned against the starboard railing. He watched the beautiful display of nature without a word, lost deep in thought as he was. He could make no sense of the latest turn of events and no matter how hard or how much he tried to twist and turn it, he still could not unscramble his thoughts. So much had happened; so much had suddenly changed when the Pevensies had reappeared, and there was no way of knowing what any of it meant.

In celebration of their return - which was a most joyous event, though confusing it might be - Caspian had proposed a celebration aboard the _Dawn Treader_. Now as the sun was setting, the ale barrels had been carried out and there was a merry atmosphere among the crew and the newcomers. Caspian glanced sideways at Edmund, who stood further down the line with the king's advisers. In the young man's hand rested a small cup of ale he'd hidden from his elder siblings and he was merrily discussing one thing or another with his company. The sight made the Telmarine man briefly smile in memory of old days.

Though it pleased him possibly more than any other to have his friends returned, he could still not fully enjoy their presence. As long as he could not make sense of it, dangerous, unknown things could be lurking on the horizon. He could not endanger any one; neither the Pevensies, nor his people back in Narnia. He was certain now that he had made the right decision in ordering the ship to turn about and head home. The end of the world lay behind _the Dawn Treader _now and Narnia ahead.

A part of the young king's heart was sad he would not be able to fulfill his oath at present time, but he would do it some other time when he could be certain of Narnia's safety. For now, however, he just longed to get home to his chamber in the palace and relieve Trumpkin of his duties as regent.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Caspian turned his head to his right as Peter strolled over, two cups of ale in his strong hands. He handed one to the Telmarine king, who merely frowned back in confusion as he accepted it.

"A _penny_?"

The Pevensie king faltered. "Eh, it's a form of coin where I'm from."

"You wish to pay to know my thoughts?"

"No, no…I…" Peter paused a beat and reconsidered his approach. "Never mind. I was just wondering what was on your mind."

"Home," the dark-haired man admitted with a warm smile and took a sip of the cold ale, it numbed his concerns just a little and made him feel slightly better at once. "Do not misunderstand me, but your return has me worried for Narnia's safety once more. The peace we have worked so hard for these past years could be threatened, and I stand blind in the dark... clueless as to what awaits us."

"You're a good king, Caspian," the other man assured and shrugged his shoulders. "You've done much progress in three years, you've matured."

"Even a mature king makes errors."

"I never said you were mature, I said you had _matured_, your highness," Peter interjected with a cheeky grin. The Telmarine was instantly reminded that he was talking to a High king who once had ruled as an older man than he was at the present; a man in his very early twenties. Despite Peter's young years, his blue eyes shone of wisdom and experience as High king. The Pevensie man sipped once more from his cup before he sighed and faced his friend with an honest look, "Look, Caspian, I'm not sure why I'm here. Or why Susan is, for that matter. Aslan made it plain we wouldn't return, so it's all a bit… mind boggling for me, too, you know. But we'll find out what this is about soon enough, and deal with it. Like we did last time."

"An enemy is never as strong as what is not known about him," the Telmarine king pointed out with a sigh as he dragged one of his hands across his thick hair. His gaze remained on the colorful horizon and his eyes danced with emotion as he continued, "There is strength in the unidentified, it brings out fear. Last time we knew who we were fighting. My uncle Miraz. This time…"

"Stop that," the Pevensie spoke. "I thought we were celebrating tonight, not brooding over tomorrow!"

He raised his cup expectantly in Caspian's direction; the latter glanced down at his own cup and smiled. Pulling himself to his full height and standing a couple of inches taller than the Pevensie man, the Telmarine king fired off a friendly smile as he raised his own cup to meet the other man's.

"For your return," he toasted and the two kings drank in amiable silence.

* * *

Many hours later, long after the sun had set and the stars up ahead had appeared to shine bright for the travelers in the dark night, most of the ship's crew had gone to sleep drunk or on their way of being so. As Caspian had offered his chamber to Susan and Lucy, the king himself along with the Pevensie boys slept in a room with the rest of the crew.

This night, however, the eldest Pevensie found it hard to fall into the comfortable embrace of sleep. Perhaps it was due to the events of the days, the rocking of the vessel in the night or the fact that Edmund – whom Peter had seen drink quite a lot of ale during the evening – was snoring loudly from the berth right next to him. Either way, Peter felt nothing but restlessness.

Eventually he tired of lying around in the darkened room and so decided to climb onto the open deck. The fresh sea wind blew in Peter's face and he breathed in the air deeply while repressing a yawn. It was funny how a little bit of salty air could make him drowsier than the sleeping people around him had only minutes before. He scratched an itch on his chest and strode over to the railing without any rush. He looked up at the starry heavens as it met the deep, dark oceans below. There were but few crew members at work at this hour, but anyone who passed him bowed their head before continuing with their efforts to get the _Dawn Treader_ due west.

All in all, the night on the sea was peaceful and soothed Peter's mind in ways the snoring of dozens of drunken men could not.

The young man suppressed another yawn when suddenly an unexpected sound broke through his quiet moment. The sound was familiar, and most out of place when heard out on the waves of the vast ocean. The sound had been that of the flapping wings of a stealthy bird. Peter hurriedly turned in the direction of the noise and despite the darkness thought he could make out the distinct silhouette of a falcon leaving the ship. The man blinked a few times and the image soon disappeared behind the proud vessel. The king was unsure if it had been a true vision or just a trick of a tired mind.

Either way, Peter made a mental note to ask Caspian about it in the morning. Too tired for stringing together another coherent thought, the Pevensie man stumbled back down the steps below deck to fall asleep in his berth with gratitude and peace on his mind.

* * *

_To be continued._


	4. King Caspian's Word

**4. King Caspian's Word **

Early next morning, when the first rays of the sun had stretched above the horizon, Caspian climbed on deck. He stretched as he yawned and smiled contently to himself. He had always enjoyed the sunrise most out of all moments of a day; it was more peaceful than the sun setting for it brought with it new light and hope for a better tomorrow. Things always did seem brighter in the morning air than it did in the dark hours of twilight. It had calmed him for as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a young boy growing up in Miraz's castle in Telmar.

As he fastened his belt around his waist, feeling the weight of the long sword against his hip, he stepped forward. He lifted his gaze and stopped with one foot midair. Standing by the railing in front of him was Susan Pevensie. For a moment, the young man pondered if he should go someplace else but found that his feet led him towards her on their own accord while he had pondered the situation.

"Your highness, I hope you slept well," Caspian greeted as he stepped up beside her and noticed how surprise lit up her sky-colored eyes briefly before being replaced by warmth as she gazed at him.

She turned slightly from the view and a familiar kindness was directed to her present company. A slight smile spread across her full lips as she said, "Thank you again for giving me and Lucy your cabin, my lord. Lucy's still sleeping, she was spread out over the entire bed when I walked out earlier. I don't blame her, it's a very comfortable bed."

"And yet you are awake and out here," the Telmarine pointed out gently as he leaned on his elbows against the railing. He still remained a safe distance from the queen. Keeping his distance, Caspian figured, was for the best, at least for present time when everything was so jumbled anyway.

The young woman's dark curls danced in the wind as she turned and smiled out at the ocean view. The man could not help but notice that she had let her hair grow even longer since she their last meeting. She glanced at him briefly before she explained herself, "I woke up early and figured I might as well watch the sunrise... When I was Queen of Narnia, this was always my favorite time of the day. I've never seen a sunrise quite like those in Narnia. Back in the old days, I always woke early just so that I could watch the first rays come above the horizon. Of course, it was too early for most people, but Peter was often up then anyway to prepare for different council meetings. Sunrise became our moments alone together."

Caspian watched as her azure eyes radiated happy memories and her entire face lit up with each word that passed from her mouth. The man couldn't contain his own smile at this but soon remembered himself and sobered before she could catch his foolish grin. He turned instead to face the awakening rays and watched them play in the waves alongside the colors of the ocean.

After a few quiet moments, he felt Susan's eyes on him and slowly turned back in her direction. She had her head tilted to the side as she watched him; her beautiful face scrutinized his for a moment as if trying to figure out some intricate puzzle she did not have all the pieces to complete. Caspian raised his eyebrows in a mute question.

"You've aged," she explained herself.

The man felt his heart skip a beat. "Three years. The age difference is not so immense anymore, is it?"

The look on the woman's face faltered and she turned briskly away. Caspian rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. How big of a fool could one man be, bringing up their last farewell? It was the past and a pretty long time ago at that. Aslan only knew everything that had transpired between then and now, and how differently she must behold him at this time. Silence stretched between them as the man continued to silently berate himself.

"Well…" Susan broke the silence at last and the Telmarine gazed down at her. She bit her bottom-lip hesitantly as her eyes clearly gazed inwards and she continued, "1297 years _is_ still a rather immense gap, you know."

Relief washed over the king as they shared a small smile over fond memories. "Technically," he couldn't help but add, "I am older than you now. By two years, am I not correct?"

"Depends on how you're counting," the brunette retorted cheekily as her grin widened and Caspian's gaze was drawn down to her lips.

A gagging noise sounded behind them and both turned around to see a pale Edmund supported by his elder brother. The younger man gazed past the couple as he managed in a dead-pan voice, "Ugh... Don't make me puke."

"Judging by your intake of ale last night, you'll probably puke anyway," the taller, elder brother sighed in return as he pushed his brother forward across the wooden deck. There was a detached gaze in his pale orbs as he beheld Caspian and Susan ahead.

"You know what, you're probably right," Edmund agreed and slowly pushed away from his brother to lean over the railing between the couple. Susan motherly rubbed a hand across the boy's back as he took a couple of calming, deep breaths and pretended to be fine.

As the Pevensie's stomach settled down without any mishaps, the other three spoke of silly nothings to pass the time. Before long their small group was joined by the presence of Reepicheep and Caspian's advisers. During last night's merriment, the Pevensies had come to know the three men as Greagoir, who was one of the eldest on the king's council, Enric, a younger man experienced from the battle field and Roshan, a lord with diplomatic roots.

The grey-haired Greagoir bowed to his king and then gave him the news, "Your majesty, the wind is strong today and the crew has told us we are making excellent speed towards Narnia."

The Telmarine king nodded in content approval. "If the weather continues like this, we'll be home in Narnia in no time."

The mouse climbed onto the railing beside Susan and his large, dark eyes gazed up at her briefly before he, too, faced the young king. There was something seeking atonement in Reepicheep's gaze before he said, "There is one other small matter the advisers have asked to discuss with you, your majesty."

"Tell me what it is, friend. If I am able, I will answer."

"It concerns your given word," Lord Roshan spoke without further delay as he stepped forward. It was plain he had no intention of being ignored as he respectfully pressed on, "Or have you forgotten?"

Caspian took a deep breath and felt whatever peace the sunrise had given him had been scattered on the strong winds. At once his duties as regent made their appearance and he could no longer be Seafarer but rather honorable King. With a short nod, he assured the men, "I remember."

"A given word must be upheld," Reepicheep began from his position by the Pevensie girl., "as is the obligation of every honorable man or mouse."

Edmund frowned at the curious conversation and shared a small shrug with his brother. Evidently the mouse knew something about the king's heart that they did not yet fully comprehend.

"Then you do intend to uphold the agreement?" the eldest adviser asked with a sparkle in his worn gaze. It seemed his eyes had already traveled back into Narnian territory and were making plans long before an answer had even been offered to his blunt question.

"Agreement?" Peter interjected at last from the sidelines as a tired Lucy walked out of the girl's sleeping quarter and joined the small group.

The old adviser turned to the eldest sibling, as if finally realizing that the Pevensies had no idea of what was being discussed. With a harmless grin, he clarified, "Why, yes. Before we departed on this voyage, the council faced the young king with a problem we've worried about for many long months. It concerns a wife."

Susan shifted her eyes to the king by her side. She found his expectant gaze already on her and for a second she couldn't find her voice. She cleared her throat and asked, "_A wife_? You're married?"

Caspian shook his head fervently and leaned closer to her as he said, "_No, no_! You are misunderstanding Lord Greagoir, my queen. I'm _not married_, I assure."

"_Not yet_. There are a few contestants, however, – if one might refer to them as such – for the part of future Queen of Narnia," Greagoir added as if feeling the need to angle the king's words. "There are many who have shown interest, and a few choices who would benefit the peace throughout the known lands. We have wished that the king choose a bride for as long as he has been seated on the throne. Three years as unwed regent is a very long time."

Completely over his upset stomach, Edmund frowned and looked over at the elder man as if the words had been spoken in a completely different language. "When we were regents, we didn't _have_ to marry. Don't get me wrong, there were many suitors - especially for dear Susan here – but… we didn't have to do much of anything against our will."

"That was _1300 years ago_, king Edmund," Roshan said and turned his dark, Telmarine eyes on the youngest king of Narnia. "Much has changed since those days and your situation was rare, indeed. Never since has Narnia had four regents upon the throne. These days it is of uttermost importance to create strong allies and ensure a throne heir, for the future of all."

"But Caspian's so young," the smallest Pevensie girl meekly argued with her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Old enough to wed," Greagoir angled the spoken words once more and glanced at Enric, who thus far remained silent in the conversation. The more war-oriented lord merely shrugged and kept his opinion to himself as the elder adviser continued, "And his majesty has given his word. Upon our return to Narnia, the king has promised to choose a queen."

"I thought I'd have more time on the sea," Caspian muttered under his breath so only Edmund and Reepicheep could hear him.

Once more, the elder Pevensie girl turned to the Telmarine king in confusion. "You've promised to find a wife?"

"Yes. No. Nothing is set in stone," the young man replied and ran a weary hand over his stubble as he corrected himself before his advisers could again, "I've promised to _attempt_ to find a good wife and queen among the many eligible women throughout the known lands. But it is understood, _I'm sure,_ that this task must be second priority if Narnia is under threats. Therefor I fail to see the point of bringing it up at present time, at all."

"What happens if you find no one to your liking?" Lucy questioned as she casually leaned against her eldest brother.

Caspian looked down at the queen without replying at first. At length, he sighed and shifted from one foot to the other. He had rather hoped to leave the subject alone already, especially now that he was forced to admit the truth, "If I do not choose a wife myself, I have given my word to accept whomever the council chooses for me."

"Even if you do not love her?" Susan questioned with an aghast look on her fair features. "That doesn't seem fair. It's not at all how I remember the old days of our regency!"

_"Again,"_ Roshan began with an impatient breath as he faced the four siblings. "...The times have changed. This is simply how it is."

"Yeah, well, I still say it's trivial," Edmund glared over at the dark-haired adviser, "especially with our arrival which needs to be understood first. So I agree with Caspian, why not worry about a nice little wedding when the time is right for it?"

The Telmarine lord's eyes darkened and it was obvious he didn't approve of being spoken against as he watched the youngest Pevensie king. He opened his mouth to retort, when Lucy hastily interrupted.

"All this talk of marriage has me hungry," the young girl breathed and patted her brothers on the shoulder, "will anyone join me for breakfast? Peter? Edmund? Lord Greagoir?"

The aging man gracefully nodded and walked off beside the youngest queen. At once, the topic was dropped (for now) and the others calmly followed the queen and the adviser away from the railing. As Edmund stepped out from between Caspian and Susan, the Telmarine king gently stopped the young woman with a hand on her wide sleeve. She gazed down at his cautious grip but haltered as she anticipated he wanted something private from her. She smiled up at Peter as he, too, walked after the others and the couple was left alone.

"Will you walk with me a little before breakfast?" the king breathed and the Pevensie woman nodded hesitantly. The pressure on her sleeve vanished and Susan turned to walk alongside the railing.

Though the ship was large, there was still not much floor to actually take a walk upon and a few times they had to stop for passing crew members hard at work. After a few moments of companionable silence, Susan glanced up at the handsome man and asked, "Was there something you wanted, my lord?"

"In truth, I wanted time away from my advisers," Caspian admitted with an apologetic smile as his thick accent carried over the strong wind. With a shrug he continued, "sometimes they drive me close to the point of insanity speaking of these 'traditions of the throne'. I'm certain you will find even more things that have changed since your regency, my queen. All these rules for the regent… Some I understand; some gives protection to my people, others…"

"... aren't so easily understood," the queen offered with a smile.

"Please know," the king hurried on, "I couldn't ask for better men to advice me. They have stood by me from the start of my regency and I believe their intentions are well meant and founded in an honest trust in me. And I know all the rules are there for a reason... But it still concerns personal decisions made against my wish. You know, Lord Greagoir has already chosen the three most suitable ladies that he believes would be best for Narnia's good future. By giving my word to the advisers, at least I will have some say in who I wed."

Susan nodded quietly in understanding. She had dealt with more than a handful of suitors in her days and could easily relate to his concerns. There had, after all, been many young lords convinced they were the best suited for her hand in marriage, despite her knowledge of the contrary. With Caspian still new to the throne after such a long period of mayhem, things were bound to balance precariously before anyone felt entirely confident and certain everything would be alright. With an heir and thus a strong claim to the throne, Caspian could help ease many minds.

"As regent there will always be people who think you can perform your duties better than you do," she offered as meek consolation. "Or, at the very least, believe they know better than you when it concerns your own life."

The Telmarine king smiled as he stopped and leaned against the railing. They had made it all the way across the deck and now stood overlooking the southern horizon and a few gulls that sailed upon the strong winds alongside the ship. Caspian waited until the queen stepped up beside him before he turned to her with simple gratitude in his dark eyes. "I cannot explain how it eases my mind to have you and your siblings' support in these matters. You have been through what I am going through now, and you know precisely what burdens come with the crown. I cannot seem to make anyone else understand the troubles of my mind, though I have many ears who will listen if I ask."

As he gazed down at her, the young man saw a shadow of worry flash across her features and she stepped closer. Whether this was a conscious move or not, Caspian was unsure. One of her pale, slender hands came to rest on his shoulder as she whispered, "Is there something else burdening you?"

He shook his head as he placed his own calloused hand atop hers. "I assure you, Queen Susan, there is nothing in particular I worry over. Well, not counting the questions concerning your return. I was simply considering..." he hesitated a beat as he lowered both of their hands from his shoulder. As he held her hand between their bodies and gazed down at it with a distant frown, he continued, "Didn't the immensity of it all ever strike you?"

"All the time," Susan grinned and squeezed his hand in reassurance. His gaze rose to meet hers once more and she continued, "You've done very good this far, my king. I'm impressed, though not surprised, at how far you've come all on your own. I mean, I had my siblings who ruled beside me, but you stand as regent on your own two feet. Perhaps a wife can help carry your burden with you."

A grin flashed by at the corner of the man's lips as he shrugged. "If so, she would have to be very strong to shoulder it alongside me. And capable of holding her own through any battle. Of noble blood, simply to please the advisers, of course. She'd have to have a heart big enough for both me and the people of Narnia... A gentle heart."

Susan's head snapped up to meet the king's gaze upon hearing his final words. His chocolate colored eyes gauged her reaction curiously. He opened his mouth, "Queen Susan-"

At once, the queen withdrew her hand from within the king's and took a step back. A confused frown spread across her features as she breathed, "I'm afraid I must agree with my sister; this topic has me hungry, too. Is it not time we joined the others for breakfast?"

The Telmarine king searched the young woman's eyes, but in the depths he could find only trepidation mixed with confusion. He lowered his head in a slight bow and held out his arm to signal for her to lead the way for them. Without even meeting his gaze, the Pevensie queen turned on her heel and walked away. Caspian watched her a second longer before he swiftly followed in her wake.

* * *

In the waters far behind the Narnian ship, another ship floated atop the strong waves with sails black as the most corrupt souls. It broke through the waves almost soundlessly in its pursuit of _the_ _Dawn Treader _ahead.

Astern of the ship, on the upper deck, stood a man wearing a long, shadowy cloak that floated around him in the wind as if made of liquid itself. The man was not elderly, though far from young, as he stood taller than most and in his pale eyes burned determination without even the slightest insecurity. In the man's right hand rested a scepter the length of a walking cane with a pale, crystal orb at the very top. The crystal orb shimmered like clouds to the touch or like a pearl beneath the sun's rays on the ocean floor.

A malevolent smirk spread across his worn face as his cold grey eyes gazed ahead. He could not see his target on the horizon, though felt its presence upon the waves mere miles ahead. A twisted scar ran from the corner of his eyebrow down to the short, grey scruff on his round chin. His short hair was speckled with grey and black, like an aging wolf's fur as it remained still despite the strong winds around him.

"Sir?" a throaty voice suddenly sounded from below and interrupted his concentration. The man turned and gazed back as he saw a limping dwarf climb the steps. The dwarf Firtkin had bushy, dark hair and only three, stumpy fingers upon his scarred, left hand. The man raised his eyebrow expectantly as Firtkin failed to continue.

With an apologetic bow, the dwarf at last continued, "We will soon have _the Dawn Treader_ in sight; shall I order the attack?"

The elder man tapped the blunt end of his scepter against the deck a couple of times as he pondered the question. Meanwhile, the black-dwarf waited on baited breath for the order he was sure to come.

"Not yet," the man's dark, raspy voice said at length, drawing the words out like a snake might hiss as it prepares for a strike. "We must wait a little longer. It won't be long now, though. I will soon have what I need and if they will not come to me, I will come and claim it from them."

* * *

_To be continued._


	5. The Mouse's Oath

**5. The Mouse's Oath**

Come nightfall on their fifth day on _the Dawn Treader_, Susan found herself seeking the cool night air to clear her thoughts. The whole experience had come to overwhelm her; their illogical return to Narnia, Caspian's word to find a queen and her own bottled up emotions for the same man.

The young woman preferred it when things could be explained; when it had a reason she could see and understand. Now not only her head was having trouble keeping up, but also her heart.

As soon as she had realized where they had returned, Susan Pevensie had promised herself to remain prepared to be sent back to England when Aslan realized the mistake that had somehow been made. Neither her nor Peter's fate was to be in Narnia, the mighty lion had said so himself, and she must never forget that. She must never forget, either, that England held her path and that this was just a tiny detour on her great trail through life.

That Narnia had never been her future was something the young woman had come to terms with long ago. She thought of this return as a happy dream of sorts, one from which she would eventually awake, heart-grieved and alone in England. It was all a matter of time. And if she was to be prepared to leave all of Narnia behind whenever the mistake was brought to light, she couldn't get emotionally invested.

After her long talk with the Telmarine king about the life and decisions of a regent, Susan had decided to keep some distance to the handsome, young man. This did in no way mean acting uncivilized, but rather to not find herself in another private situation with him. Her fears that old feelings would blossom within her heart and put down roots meant having to stay away from danger. Though, when it concerned the warm, kind king, this was harder than first conceived. He was so sweet and attentive to her in ways that made her heart skip a beat every now and then, even though he surely did not mean anything with his actions.

In truth, Susan had felt her heart beat quite out of control upon realizing the Telmarine man would soon choose a bride of his own. When he had discussed the matter privately with her there had been that one moment when he had gazed down at their hands and declared the qualities such a bride would have to possess. He had said she would have to have a gentle heart. _Gentle_. As if he was referring to her and not some random queen he had yet to fall in love with. It was a silly thought, the woman knew, to even consider the notion that Caspian had been referring to her at all. She had read more into it because of, she could admit as much, her own secret wish that he still felt affection for her.

The brunette sighed up at the starry skies and tried to clear her mind once and for all. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the beauty of a perfect moment at sea, but had to pull back even in this regard. She had to remember the promise she had made to herself. Honestly, though, there were ways for her to minimize the pain, but she would be sad either way to leave this place, to leave the Telmarine king...

_Oh, for heaven's sake_, she thought as she closed her eyes tight in irritation. _Get a grip, girl! It was just a silly teen crush_!

There never had been more than chaste words and a farewell kiss to seal their incipient emotions. It had always been meant to end as nothing more and Susan had come to accept this during her year away. Besides, they had only known each other for a brief window of time, during which they had been quite busy with reclaiming a kingdom from his mad uncle. There had been no time to actually get to know each other in peaceful days.

To Caspian, all of it had been three years ago and evidently he had mastered the role of king in great strides since then. Had she truly been foolish enough to believe that a few fleeting moments would make him swoon over her the way she still swooned over him?

Not for three years, certainly. Fleeting crushes ended in half that time, if not sooner still. The handsome Telmarine was a regent with many obligations who had reshaped the peace of Narnia and Telmar; there was no room for old, incipient emotions to last in such conditions. No, he had surely moved on and with the upcoming obligation to find a wife, he would soon forget he had ever felt anything akin to amour for the Pevensie girl.

She would have to bide her time and be secretive with her heart around him, in order to protect both their hearts. If the roles had been reversed, she knew the king would have protected her also. Along with her siblings she would support the man in any way they could, even if it meant finding someone to take the place she had once possessed in his heart. Caspian deserved nothing less after everything he had done for them all and for Narnia.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Just like I remember it." the Pevensie girl was pulled from her brooding state and turned around upon hearing the man's calm voice. Behind her, Peter walked across the quiet deck with his hands behind his back. Much like his sister, the young man was dressed for bed and there were already traces of sleep in his pale eyes. He came up to stand beside her and, too, gazed at the stars above, before he confessed, "I _really _missed Narnia when we were away. Last time did feel like a farewell, like we had done our work here. Still… being back… I'm not sure I want to leave this time, Susan."

"Don't be silly, Peter," Susan chastised and gently tugged on the long, dark braid that hung over her shoulder. Her eyes couldn't quite rise to meet her brother's, but instead she sought comfort from the night around them. "You know we can't stay. You and I aren't supposed to be here."

"Yet _here we are_," the young man said as if having to remind her of such a simple fact.

* * *

Lucy awoke the following morning to the warm rays of the sun peeking through the painted windows of Caspian's cabin and she stretched out upon the large bed with a content sigh. She prodded the other end of the bed with her toes and frowned when she met nothing but air and a cool cover. The young brunette cracked one pale blue eye open and looked about the room; there was no Susan in here yet again.

The teenager yawned as she threw her head back down onto the pillows once more. After a few moments of deliberating whether to enjoy the morning in bed or get up, the girl pulled herself out of her comfort zone. A few years earlier, she would have easily given into the temptation, but she couldn't be that child much longer.

She stretched and tiredly got dressed for the day. As soon as she put her shirt over her head and the seafarer smell of the fabric reached her nose, Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"Are you awake, Lucy?" her sister's voice suddenly sounded from outside and the young girl gazed up as Susan appeared in the doorway to the balcony.

"I didn't think you were still in here," the younger girl greeted with a grin and gazed up at the night gown the elder girl still wore. "Not ready for today, ey?"

The elder Pevensie girl opened her mouth to reply when they suddenly heard a quick, rapping sound at the door. Both of them turned as it opened and Reepicheep carefully stepped inside, seemingly unwilling to catch either queen in a compromising situation.

As he spotted both of them decent, the mouse beamed in delight and stepped further inside. "Good morrow. It is quite late and I noted that neither of you were up on the deck, so I figured I ought to make sure everything was well."

Lucy smiled down at the cute mouse and refrained from commenting upon this particular thought. She knew very well how badly the honorable mouse took to being called 'cute'. Instead she read between the lines as she fastened her belt around her waist and questioned, "And?"

"_And_," Reepicheep smiled up at the queen, obviously amused by her attentiveness, "to take this moment to offer you my sword in protection."

"You mean that you are offering to be our very own personal guard," the younger sister pointed out.

"We can't ask that of you!" Susan breathed as the wind caught the ends of her gown and made it flutter around her slim form.

"Nonetheless, I swear you an oath upon it," the mouse spoke with his chin held high and pride shone in his dark eyes. "Your return is fraught with the unknown and danger will most likely lurk everywhere when we return home. By my tail, I will protect you from any danger, or die trying! I am already obligated to keep King Caspian X safe, but I assure you I can perform both duties."

"You're an honorable mouse, Reepicheep, but there is no need to swear such an oath. None should have to risk dying for us. The possible danger is too great," the elder brunette insisted from her position by the balcony doors.

Reepicheep seemed offended by her words as he puffed out his furry chest. "Are you insinuating I cannot handle my own in the face of mortal danger? That I am standing here lying before you now?"

Lucy raised her arms to calm the mouse and hurriedly knelt by his side as she said, "No! We are all aware of your strength and valor. We simply are reluctant to have you put yourself at risk for us. But if this is your choice, we shall accept your protection knowing that we'll be safe under your watchful eyes."

"Then it is decided," Reepicheep visibly relaxed and bowed his head swiftly as if this sealed the deal. "Now, may I escort you both to breakfast?"

The younger girl skipped from the ground with great enthusiasm but the elder lingered by the balcony. "You two go ahead, I think I'll skip breakfast today. I'm not really hungry."

Lucy turned back around and frowned at her sister's curious words. She studied Susan's silhouette now and realized just how similar she looked to their mother. The older girl stood beautiful and graceful by the doors, with her long hair flowing in the wind and a distant look in her pale eyes - Lucy recognized the gaze as one their mother usually had during pressing war times whenever their father was separated from the rest of the family. "Are you sure you're quite alright, Susan?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" the young woman asked, but it was a question she didn't seem to believe in herself. Regardless, Lucy realized her sister needed space so mutely nodded and followed the mouse from the room.

Left alone, Susan sighed and once more returned to the view outside. As so often these days, she let her mind wander and get lost in troublesome thoughts she found harder and harder to get out of. She knew she ought to voice her worries aloud to her siblings but couldn't find it in her heart to put a damper on their spirits. She had always been the quiet sufferer anyway.

She was pulled from her thoughts quite abruptly as she heard the door to the cabin open. Susan opened her eyes and glanced behind. She was surprised to see the Telmarine king step over to the closet and open the door to it without acknowledging her. As she heard him rummage through the clothes inside, Susan walked back to the doorway and leaned against the wall.

"There's a lot of traffic here today," she mused and immediately regretted it as the king slammed the door shut with surprise and basically jumped as he saw her on the balcony.

With wide eyes he took in her appearance and swiftly turned around so that his back was towards the young woman. "Forgive me, milady, I thought the cabin was empty. I thought you were with your siblings on deck... I wouldn't have imposed had I known. I merely came to change my shirt."

"It's fine, it's your room," Susan smiled at his tense back. As confusion took the upper hand, she couldn't help but ask, "Is there something wrong?"

"You are..." Caspian faltered briefly as he searched for the right words. "You are wearing a nightdress."

"Oh, that's quite alright," the Pevensie breathed though a blush painted her cheeks. Though the pale gown was more concealing than the outfit she'd worn when they'd been rescued from the ocean, she wasn't truly decent either. Still, she blundered, "It could have been worse. It's not like I'm wearing nothing."

The king glanced back and there was apparent amusement written all across his face. He'd clearly recovered from his initial shock as he retorted, "...If you wished me to picture you-" the king stopped abruptly as a pillow hit the back of his head.

Susan stood inside the chamber now by the bed, the other pillow in a firm grip, as she stared at the cheeky king with an aghast look grazing her features. Caspian laughed as he met her eyes across the small divide that separated them. The young queen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Well... did you find yourself a clean shirt?"

The tall man raised his hand to indicate the purple shirt within it as he kept his back to her. Susan nodded and pointed back to the balcony. "I'll... step outside. Give you some privacy to change. It's my turn not to impose."

Without waiting for his reply, the young woman slipped outside and shut the door firmly. She leaned her head against the wood and exhaled as she chastised herself for finding herself in such a stupid position in the first place. She tried to tell herself it was innocent and meant nothing, but her thundering heart could not be swayed. Susan stepped away from the door and let the cooling wind ease her mind until she felt numb inside.

"Eh... Queen Susan?" Caspian's voice was muffled through the door. "You can come back inside. I have changed."

She breathed deeply and slowly opened the door. Sitting on the foot-end of the bed, the dark-haired king smiled up at her. The dark purple shirt fitted him nicely, Susan noted, though it was certainly nothing she would willingly share at the moment. As she came closer, Caspian rose and nodded towards the balcony. "Would you like me to do the same for you? I imagine you want to change as well?"

The brunette smiled as she noticed the king's gaze remained raised somewhere above her head. It was a simple thing, yet she was touched by his gentlemanly manners. At once, she felt her resolve falter. "Yes, that is most kind."

The couple repeated the previous dance as the king stepped outside and closed the door. The brunette walked over to the closet and hurriedly got dressed. She was glad she was alone as her cheeks still burned warm as if on fire, even despite the cooling effects of the sea air. As she at last pulled the blue shirt over her head, she looked down at the complete seafarer look. Though the men's clothes were more comfortable, a part of Susan longed to wear familiar dresses again.

"I'm decent!" she called and put the wide belt around her thin waist just as the king stepped back inside. Susan grasped for an appropriate subject to pull them out of the previous one. "Did you sleep alright?"

With an amused grin, the king replied, "I did... You are aware it's lunch time, are you not?"

Susan closed her eyes tight and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear before she faced him. "I am now. Forgive me, I..." she searched her mind for fitting lies but failed to even make a coherent string of thoughts. "... enjoyed the sunrise on the balcony and lost track of time."

"You need never apologize for it," Caspian noted as he walked closer and leaned against the wall beside her. Whether he believed her lie or had chosen simply to play along, Susan wasn't sure. His next words cleared it up, though, "In fact, I wish I had the time to simply be by myself more often. Without interruptions, of course."

The brunette managed an honest smile. "You didn't interrupt. I don't mind it, anyway."

"My queen... It was an interruption, let us not pretend otherwise," the king's dark eyes were full of understanding as he gazed down at the queen. "It was not entirely wanted this time, but... should you ever want company in your solitude to ponder things in the future, I would happily give you the same aid you've already given me thus far with my problems."

In that precise moment, the doors to the cabin suddenly flew open and Lucy rushed inside, closely followed by her eldest brother. Susan and Caspian jumped aside as they watched the wild, childish chase in confusion.

"Peter, please! _Don't_!" the young girl managed as she laughed and jumped across the bed away from her brother's long arms.

Edmund stepped inside where he came to a halt beside Susan and simply grinned knowingly as he rocked from toe to heel. "What did Lucy do this time?" the elder sister asked.

"Remember the pond?" the dark-haired boy explained.

The three of them watched as Peter finally managed to get a grip of his baby sister by the bed. The girl squealed but didn't manage to break free from his strong, gentle grip. Susan watched the show in amusement. It always amazed her how all four of them could act as the adults they had once been in one moment only to behave truly like the children they were in the next. It pleased her also because she knew this meant her elder brother had accepted their return in ways she knew she never could. Though, of course, in a way that notion was not entirely pleasant to Susan's mind.

"I got you now, Lu!" the oldest boy chuckled as he stepped towards the open balcony doors with the struggling girl in his arms. "I told you I would get even!"

Edmund, Susan and Caspian all moved to where they could see Peter's pretense attempts to throw the young girl over the railing. With a plain form, Caspian turned to the woman by his side, "Do you know what this is about?"

The reply came from the dark-haired boy on his other side. "Payback."

For obvious reasons this was not an apparent reason for the king who alternated between amusement and bewilderment. "We only fished you out of the sea a few days ago and already you are throwing each other back into it?"

"It was a game back home," Susan explained with a laughter as she gazed up at the king's confused face. "Lucy managed to tackle dear Peter into a pond and he swore to get even. Apparently he's decided now is as good a time as any."

"I see... It still does not make it any less weird," the Telmarine breathed under his breath as he smiled at the image of brother and sister playing on the balcony beside him.

"Careful, Caspian, or Su here will have to throw you over that railing, too," Edmund teased and nudged his sister.

The Telmarine king snorted, "I'd like to see her try."

Susan merely smiled timidly. "As opposed to my siblings, I'd like to stay dry for now."

* * *

Meanwhile the ship's dark 'shadow' rocked to and fro in the strong waves just out of sight. On the stern of the black wood, Firtkin stood beside his leader. The dwarf feared this man, not for his darkness alone but for the great powers of magic he possessed. He was the greatest sorcerer known to still be alive, possessing powers Firtkin had never seen before, and the black-dwarf was not so dumb as to stray from the Sorcerer's good side. He'd already seen several friends fall to the Sorcerer's wrath.

"Now," the Sorcerer spoke suddenly and thus broke the stillness that had stretched on between the two for a lengthy period. The tall, strong man gazed up at the sun above for a second before he turned finish his command, "The time has come; they shall not escape the mist."

The short dwarf bowed before his master mutely and then turned to the rest of their crew of immoral doers. At the centre of the ship, a large wheel stretched round the mainmast and Firtkin glanced at it with great respect in his eyes. He shouted out the orders and watched as the entire crew jumped alive as if chased by a lick of fire. Several men ran up to the wheel and with great exertion, though five of them they were, they begun to turn the massive wooden thing around the mast. Firtkin watched in awe for he knew what would soon emerge, what the Sorcerer soon would command with his powerful magic.

"Remember, Firtkin," The Sorcerer spoke and distantly stroked the ball atop his short scepter with calloused hands. "The attack is to use the element of surprise and must be over swiftly. There will be no time for the crew to go on a killing spree. Make sure to remind them of our mission before we strike. But make no mistake, there will be blood spilled tonight."

* * *

Edmund roared with laughter as the nimble Lucy wrapped her legs around her brother's and hugged him like a zoo animal, making it impossible for Peter to do much of anything.

"Want to call it a draw?" the smaller girl asked from her position as she gazed up at the fair man. "Last time we both ended up in the water, what if neither has to this time?"

Before the man could answer, the group's peace was brutally interrupted as the door to the cabin swung wide open in a flash and the ship's captain, Drinian, came through the doors. The bald man gazed across the room at the small, happy group and the somber look on his face quickly sobered the rest of them up.

"What's wrong, Drinian?" Caspian asked as he recovered first and easily slipped into his role as king. He stepped back into the cabin and his captain's side to await the explanation.

"There's problem, my lord," the elder man said with a firm gaze in his dark eyes as he beheld his regent. "Something's coming."

"What is it?" Edmund questioned as he stepped inside with the rest of his siblings. They could all see how carefully the captain tried to contain his anxieties and thus only made it apparent that whatever this was about, it was no trivial matter. The siblings could not all help but wander if this was the moment they found out the true purpose for their return.

Drinian gazed at them all one by one before he nodded towards the open balcony door. "Have a look yourselves."

All four siblings as well as Caspian turned to gaze out at the vast ocean behind the _Dawn Treader_. Far off in the distance their eyes met a great wall of mist that climbed towards the sky like a spider in its web. With each second they gazed, the mist blackened the clear, blue skies behind the ship, leaving nothing but darkness and confusion in its wake.

"You'd better prepare yourselves," the captain advised. "And do it fast."

* * *

_To be continued._


	6. The Mist

**6. The Mist**

The Telmarine king along with the captain and the Pevensies all hurried onto the deck and with swift feet, the dark-haired king rushed up the steps to the upper deck. He stopped and gazed at the thick mist that had hidden the horizon from their view. The great wall of mystery was coming towards them fast now and would reach the ship within mere minutes.

Edmund reached the king's side and grabbed the binoculars from Reepicheep as he walked up the railing. Without a word the young king raised the telescope binocular and proceeded to inspect their new threat.

Down below, the other Pevensies gathered along with most of the crew by the railing. Peter heard the crew's frightened murmurs all around him but could not quite understand their obvious fear. Admittedly, he had long since learned to recognize a threat, however uncertain it might be, but there was another kind of worry shining in the eyes around him.

The eldest Pevensie turned to the ship's captain by his side and whispered, "What are they afraid of?"

"The mist, sir," came the simple reply and it was evident Drinian shared his crew's fears to such an extent that he wished not to discuss it further while surrounded by the others.

The wind around the ship increased then, blowing almost as strong as a wild storm riding across a plain and it chilled everyone to the bones. As the wind picked up, so did the waves and it was only seconds before the whole ship was rocking gently to and fro.

"Whatever that is, it's moving against the wind," Susan shouted to the two men by her side as she squinted through the strong wind.

"Come on, Su," Peter grabbed hold of her arm and together they struggled to keep on their feet as they climbed the stairs for the upper deck. They soon reached the Telmarine king and huddled close together.

"Caspian, do you know what that is?" the eldest Pevensie bellowed over the strong wind but even the elder king gazed at him with hesitation.

"I see something in the mist!" Edmund interrupted loudly and all three of them moved over to his side. "_A ship_! I think I see a ship!"

"Then _it is_ true," the Telmarine man breathed in fright and spun around without further explanation. "_Reepicheep_! Gather the weapons and prepare for a fight!"

"What's going…?" Susan began but her words faded when suddenly the misty wall reached the rear of the_ Dawn Treader_. Any trace that had been left of the clear blue sky up over their heads soon disappeared behind the thick mist. There was only the color grey around them as the wind suddenly died out as quickly as it had begun. As the mist itself welled onto the upper deck, the Pevensies and Caspian all jumped back but all in vain. The intangible element soon spread towards the rest of the ship and enveloped the deck slowly but surely. It had become difficult to gaze to the other end of the vessel and even short distances were getting quite harder as well.

Susan stood separated from her siblings for a moment as she tried get a grasp of her bearings in the middle of the thick grey, when suddenly something firm and warm pressed against her back. It was a hand and it was soon joined by another that wrapped around her slim form. The young woman recognized the sleeves and as she glanced behind saw the unmistakable scruff of the tall, Telmarine.

"Stay close to me," Caspian advised and the queen nodded mutely.

The hull of the _Dawn Treader _croaked as the mist pressed closer upon it. It seemed this unnatural fog squeezed the Narnian vessel much like a snake tightening its deadly hold around its prey.

"The ship is alongside us now!" Edmund hissed from the port side. "I can hear it cutting through the waves! What is it?"

"It is _The Mist_!" the Telmarine king replied.

"Yes, I can see it is mist, thank you very much," the Pevensie boy's voice was somewhat irritated. "There's no need to mock me."

"It is not mocking. The ship is called _The Mist_. I've heard of it in stories from my childhood, but I thought it was only a legend to scare seafarers from the West!"

"Well, it's clearly not!" Peter added to the discussion from beside his brother. "What is its mission with us?"

Before Caspian could answer, _the Dawn Treader_ shook to the right in a crude, harsh motion. All aboard the ship struggled to remain on their feet from the sudden jolt and the hull croaked painfully once more by the tight hold of the mist. For a second, there was only mist and silence – a grey nothing through which none could see even a feet. Then suddenly the entire ship began tilting to the right, as if starting to keel over.

At that moment, Reepicheep arrived at the aft of the ship carrying heavy weapons. "Sir!" the mouse managed tightly from beside his king's feet.

Caspian bent to ease his load. "Peter!" he called and the man stumbled through the mist and over the tilting floor towards Caspian's voice. The Telmarine king loosened the sword from his own belt and held it out for the eldest Pevensie. "I believe this is yours, I kept it safe, as I said I would."

He then turned back to Susan with a bow and a quiver. "It's not your weapons, but they'll have to do for now."

The young woman took the weapons with a hesitant nod. The Telmarine turned with the two swords Reepicheep had handed him and was just to throw one to Edmund when an ear-piercing shriek echoed from the bow of the ship. The mist cleared somewhat then and they were able to see across the ship and the immediate area close around the hull of the vessel.

"_Lucy_!" Peter shouted in fright and sped off with his younger brother. Susan gazed ahead and gasped as she saw her sister dangling mid air amidships, a thin string of mist holding her suspended high above the tilting floor. The young girl was struggling with all her might against her invisible foe but it seemed impossible to release the hold around her body for it was not of solid form.

At the same time, strangled cries erupted from the starboard side of the ship as slender tendrils of mist lifted several other crew men into the air and water welled onto the deck for a second before the ship leveled out horizontally. Led by Drinian, a small group of crew members rushed forward to help their comrades. They slashed at the mist with their swords but it did no difference since the weapons simply touched air. As others rushed to aid, the ship once more started to tilt to the side until it became increasingly difficult to remain upright. Some men even slid on the watery floor and hit the starboard railing hard.

Susan's gaze once more travelled back to her sister and saw Peter and Edmund attempt to reach her despite the increased tilt. The young woman raised her foot to rush to their aid when Caspian's hand once more grabbed hold of her.

"Susan!" he called as he stumbled close and she tried to focus on him. His hands once more held onto her to steady them both from falling. He leaned close and breathed into her ear, "_The Mist_ is an old, magical ship and the lore say it is run by a sorcerer. My guess is that such a man is controlling all of this now. Controlling what is happening to your sister."

The young woman frowned. "_Why_?"

"I'm sorry, I do not know," the Telmarine spoke with his thick accent twisted into an anguished voice as he saw the woman's eyes fill with worry for her kin. Caspian followed her gaze across the deck to the Pevensie boys and saw how they unsuccessfully tried to retrieve Lucy – Edmund jumped but missed and as he landed he slid on the water on the deck while Peter shouted after his sister in despair. The string of mist pulled the girl over the railing and out over open sea between _the Mist_ and _the Dawn Treader_. Caspian turned back and tried to gain Susan's attention again. "If we don't stop the sorcerer he will take Lucy."

"Right," the young woman nodded and pulled herself together as her pale gaze met his.

They hurried to the port railing and looked out towards where _the Mist _was hiding in the shadows. The dark hull of the vessel was visible here and there in voids through the thick grey wall. Susan listened closely, she thought she could hear a voice chanting. A tall, dark-clad figure was visible for a second at the stern of the Mist, before vanishing behind a misty cover once more. Susan didn't waste any time as she raised her bow as if to fire an arrow, but _the Dawn Treader_ rocked sharply and she lost her balance.

Her descent was hindered by Caspian, who stood close behind her and she could feel the muscles in his chest clench as he tried to keep them upright without losing their balance. The ship was now keeling so much that some crew members on deck had slid into the shadowed water that splashed onto deck. The Telmarine king bit down and pushed Susan up and forward with his mind set on their target. The Pevensie girl reached out for the railing and held on to it for dear life as Caspian's chest pressed into her back to keep them both in place. He placed his hands on either side of her on the railing and Susan looked out across the sea.

The tendril that held Lucy had almost carried her all the way to _the Mist_ and Susan felt panic spread like poison in her chest. Without hesitation, she let go of the railing, trusting in the man's strong arms to keep them both safe.

"More to the left," she instructed and he shifted an inch, which was enough for the archer to raise the bow without obstruction and aim the arrow where she wanted.

Caspian watched her steady hand and listened as she let out a deep breath before releasing the arrow swiftly. A pained yelp was heard through the mist and in that second the powerful element seemed to loosen its hold on _the Dawn Treader_. The ship stopped keeling over and instead fell back against the surface, as it hit the water a huge wave split the mist and drenched the deck completely. Through the noise that was created by the heavy ship hitting the surface, Caspian heard a shriek from somewhere in front of him and looked up at as the young queen was released by the smoky tendril and fell a long way to the water below.

"_Lucy_!" the man shouted as he saw the girl go under in a mighty splash. Without further ado, the Telmarine king let go of the railing on either side of Susan and dove in after.

The elder Pevensie sister called after him in worry as her heart raced a mile a minute. Despite the notion that they were safe once more, the young woman didn't care about anything else. She didn't take any notice of the water's destruction around the ship or the crew members attempting to fish their comrades out of the heavy waves on the other side of the ship. Susan was so absorbed in watching the water below her in hopes of seeing her sister or Caspian break the waves any second.

In fact, she was so absorbed by her concern that she didn't take any notice of the strong, smoky tendril that formed in the air before her from the diminishing remains of the mist. It rose into the afternoon air as a serpent and attacked as viciously. The strike threw the queen back into the steering wheel with a heavy landing. Susan felt her breath knocked form her lungs and as she fell onto the hard, wet deck the world around her spun and grew darker until she was entirely consumed by shadows.

* * *

Because of the mist above, the water was dark and unclear around Caspian and he could not see as clearly as he would have during a normal day. Still, he saw enough to eventually make out the shape of Lucy's smaller form further down and he swam towards her with strong, even paces.

The young girl was struggling to find her way to the surface but was clearly disoriented as to which direction was up. As she saw the man through the murky water, the Telmarine saw her wide, fearful eyes fill with gratitude. He grabbed hold of her and together they swam upwards. As they resurfaced, Lucy coughed and spluttered as the king held her close to him. The mist had started to clear and the two of them could even make out the shapes of clouds on the skies up ahead. From their current position, Caspian could also get a good look at _The Mist_ as it changed course and sailed southwest away from _The Dawn Treader_.

"Caspian! Lucy!"

The brown-haired king looked up and saw Peter and Edmund, both drenched and leaning over the railing with matching expressions of concern for their baby sister. The eldest boy threw one end of a thick rope the breath of a forearm over the rim and it hit the water not far from Caspian and Lucy. "We'll pull you up!"

The strong king swam over and as he held onto the rope with one hand, he held the still coughing girl with his other. Edmund and Peter, together with the aid of Drinian, struggled to pull the two out of the sea. A few minutes passed before they succeeded and by the time the king and queen were safely on board again, the weather had cleared entirely in _the Dawn Treader's _vicinity. The thick wall of mist was now long gone in the distance and it seemed the mood had lifted across the ship.

Peter knelt beside his sister in a hurry as his hands worriedly checked her for injuries. Lucy had stopped coughing, but when her brother found a cut across the top of her hand she hissed in pain. "When did you get this?"

The young girl shrugged with a frown as if she couldn't care less at the moment. As she shivered in the cool wind, Reepicheep hurried over and threw a blanket over her small form. Her brother ran his hands up and down the length of her arms to warm her.

"She must have cut herself as that thing pulled her over the railing. Who cares, Pete? She's alright," Edmund breathed a sigh of relief as other crew members joined them.

"How's the crew?" Caspian asked breathlessly as he gazed at the faces around him. Everyone seemed drenched in water but from what he could gather there were no nasty cuts or bruises despite the recent attack.

"No casualties," Drinian explained with obvious relief. "Everyone that fell over board have been rescued and all crew members are accounted for."

"What was that about?" the eldest Pevensie questioned and glanced southwest in the direction the abnormal ship had disappeared.

"According to legend, _the Mist_ sails around the eastern oceans to pillage and steal from its victims," Reepicheep offered as information but shrugged. "That is to say, the dark vessel rarely leaves survivors in its wake."

"And are we missing anything? Reepicheep, could you do a quick sweep?" the Telmarine asked his prime guardian as he rose from the ground. The mouse bowed his head to the young, weary queen, nodded to his king and then ran off swiftly.

"The only one _The Mist_ seemed actually interested in was Lucy," Peter said while he patted his youngest sister's wet hair with one hand, a motion he was barely aware of himself. A part of the Pevensie man simply wanted to touch her in order to calm himself down as his heart still thundered furiously in his chest after almost losing her.

Caspian, meanwhile, had abandoned the topic as his own eyes searched the faces around him once more. His heart sank as he realized one obvious disappearance. "... Where is Queen Susan?"

* * *

"Master? Master?"

The Sorcerer hissed in pain as he heard the dwarf's throaty voice approach. "_What_?" he snarled.

"We have it. We have the blood we needed to acquire from the youngest queen. _The Knife of the Mist_ did its deed well."

The Sorcerer smiled despite his pain. He lowered his gaze to his shoulder, where the single arrow had pierced his skin. He grabbed hold of the retched thing and breathed deeply before pulling it out in one swift motion.

"Good," he growled and placed his other hand over the bleeding wound; a second later the steady flow of red liquid seized flowing. The Sorcerer raised his short scepter and turned back to the dwarf. Without a word he held out his slender, aging hand and waited. The dwarf fumbled with the object in his hand and the Sorcerer pulled it roughly from his grasp. There it was, the knife had taken on a solid form and its tip was covered by the blood of the youngest daughter of Eve.

"_Perfect_…" The Sorcerer growled in delight. "I might have been prevented from obtaining the others' blood, but this is a beginning."

* * *

_To be continued._


	7. Cair Paravel

**7. Cair Paravel**

Peter and Edmund raised their eyes when Caspian's worried voice flared their own acknowledgement of their sister's absence. Everyone had been so occupied with worrying about the people in danger that there hadn't been much time for missing people.

"_Susan_!" her older brother cried and looked frantically about the deck without finding the person whom his eyes desperately sought.

"She didn't…?" the other Pevensie boy began and his voice faded for he wasn't willing to voice the thought of his other sister being lost to the monstrous mist out loud. From his right, Lucy squeezed his hand with her small one and Edmund squeezed back just as tightly.

"Your majesty!" Reepicheep called. The Telmarine king and the Pevensies turned to the stern of the ship where the mouse stood upon the railing by the steering wheel, pointing down at something out of sight. Caspian didn't need to be called on twice as he jumped from the wet deck, slipped once and then rushed towards the steps.

"_Susan_!" he breathed as he glimpsed a still hand on the floor at the top of the steps. With his long legs he took the steps in two strides and slid over to the queen on the wet floor. Susan lay on her side, with her back to the large wheel and one arm stretched out below her head on the floor. Her bow and quiver lay discarded by her side in a puddle of water and Caspian pushed them aside to get better access to the fallen queen. The wet mass of her long hair obscured the lady's face and for a second the king dared not breathe as he noted how she remained still even upon his arrival.

"_Su_!" Peter breathed as he slid down onto the deck beside the king. The Telmarine shifted somewhat to let the younger, worried man come closer. "Can you hear me, Su?"

The young woman stirred as her brother's hand shook her lean shoulder. Caspian stopped the man with a firm hand, "Careful, her back could be severely injured."

The Pevensie boy nodded and moved his hand to caress his sister's cheek instead as she slowly regained consciousness. With some effort she opened her eyes and blinked repeatedly as her eyes cleared. Strong as she was, she managed a weak smile at the two young men that towered over her.

"I'm fine," Susan managed in a worn voice as her brother brushed the wet hair from her face. "I-I just got the air knocked out of me."

As if to prove her statement she moved to sit up on the hard, wooden floor. She moaned and her face twisted somewhat in agony but before she could strain herself, Caspian placed a tender hand on her back to help her up the last part.

"Are you sure you're not injured?" he asked gently and searched her face for the truth.

There was a flash of something in her eyes as she met his gaze and a slight pause before she admitted, "Bruised? Yes. Injured? No. Never mind me. Lucy?"

"She's fine, she's just fine. Wet, scared – but _fine_," Peter assured and visibly relaxed as realization hit him that they were once more out of the woods. "Come, we must get both her and Lucy dry."

The Telmarine nodded in agreement and then leaned over Susan before the young queen could protest. He guided her right arm around his neck and then scooped her up into his strong arms. She didn't weigh that much but it was still a load to the man's worn body. Still, he would have carried her to the End of the world and back in that moment if it would have meant keeping her alive and well.

"You're safe now," he whispered assuredly loud enough for only her ears as he followed Peter Pevensie down the steps once more. He felt her hand grab a dove-like hold of the shoulder of his shirt as she nodded against his chest.

Susan tiredly felt her eyes drift close on their own accord once more, though this time to the safe lull of Caspian's steps and the faint scent of his presence. "Thank you."

* * *

Next time the young woman came to, she awoke in the comfortable, grand bed in Caspian's cabin. The white linen below her and the white cover along with the bright blue sky outside the painted window made the dark and threatening mist seem like something out of an October nightmare. As she shifted about she was soon brought back to reality for her back fiercely burned from where she had struck the steering wheel. She hissed. That would certainly leave a nasty bruise.

The covers beside her rustled and she turned her head to look down at a young girl with messy, brown hair, who was watching her in turn with wide, blue eyes filled with something akin to fear. The two sisters looked at each other wordlessly for a few seconds until Lucy suddenly dove forwards and wrapped one arm around Susan's stomach and laid her head upon her sister's chest. The older girl wrapped her own arms around her baby sister and held her as tight as she could, grateful to have Lucy back in her arm at all.

"Are you alright?" Susan asked with a quiver to her otherwise strong tone.

"I'm fine," the young girl's voice was somewhat muffled against her sister's stomach. "I wasn't injured – well, except for a small cut when I was dragged over the railing. I'm just a bit exhausted after the dive. You?"

Susan knew Lucy was trying to be brave and not let on just how worn and fragile she must have felt after being rescued and admired her baby sister just a little bit more, if possible. She squeezed Lucy closer and let one of her hands gently caress her sister's long curls as she leaned her chin against the top of her head.

"I lost my breath for a second, that was all. I'm going to have a nasty bruise on my back, but it'll heal in no time, I'm sure."

She felt Lucy nod against her chest and settle in more comfortably as Susan kept on caressing her hair. It didn't take long before the young girl soon felt heavier against her sister's stomach and Susan knew sleep was not far away for her sister.

"Not quite the return I had expected…" the young girl murmured tiredly after a few minutes of peaceful silence.

"No?" the older sister stopped her hand for a second before starting over with the soothing gesture. "It's quite the return I had expected, I'm afraid."

Susan glanced down then only to realize her sister had trailed off into the realm of sleep. With a sigh, the elder girl turned her head and gazed out the painted window as she let her thoughts wander off. The door to the cabin opened slowly and quietly and Susan gazed over as Edmund poked his head inside. She waved him inside but nodded down at their sleeping sister.

The dark-haired boy nodded as he walked soundlessly across the floor and set down beside his sister on the pale covers. "How are you doing, sis?"

The young woman grimaced. "I've been better, I suppose. But certainly worse, too. Tell me, has Drinian said anything of how much further before we reach Narnian soil?"

"The day after tomorrow, I believe," her younger brother smiled crookedly and glanced from the sleeping sister to the solemn one. He leaned closer and there was a familiar twinkle to his eyes as he spoke, "... But we're not going to Miraz's castle."

Susan frowned. "...No?"

"Caspian intended it to be a surprise, but Drinian accidentally slipped up earlier. Caspian only lived in the castle for a short while before he began the restoration of another palace."

"Oh...?" the young woman asked and felt a hope akin to a candle lit within her mind. "You don't mean...?"

* * *

"Cair Paravel ahead!"

Susan hurried out from Caspian's cabin upon hearing the joyous beckoning. Two days had passed since the Mist's attack, and so little over a week since they'd first reappeared in the middle of nowhere. At last, they would sail back into Narnia, and, more importantly, to their old home. When Edmund had told her, she'd barely thought it possible. Cair Paravel had been nothing but poor, forgotten ruins last she'd seen them, and yet Caspian had taken it upon him to restore it all to its glory days.

Edmund and Lucy suddenly rushed past her, laughing together, as they rushed towards the bow of the ship with enthusiasm that soon spread to the rest of the ship's crew. Susan turned her head as she saw Peter walk towards her. There was even a jovial spring to his steps and it was plain that, after the worries after the surprise attack, he had regained his own happiness of being back. The enthusiasm in his radiant eyes was outshone only by the peacefulness in them. "Home, Susan..." he said as they walked towards the bow. The king whispered to her, "_I know_ that we weren't supposed to be back... but here we are. And Aslan hasn't stopped us yet. We'll be stepping into our home soon enough."

The young woman by his side smiled sadly but merely whispered as she followed him, "Please don't try and get my hopes up, Peter."

"It could do you some good, you know," he breathed as he led her up to join their siblings. "To simply believe."

With those words, Peter turned to his younger siblings and laughed as Edmund unsteadily climbed onto the railing, holding on to a strung rope as he did. The young boy turned to help pull the youngest Pevensie up beside him, but Susan's hand shot out to stop him.

"Watch her hand, Edmund," the dark-haired beauty said with one eye on the bandage on Lucy's right hand. The younger siblings merely shrugged as Lucy climbed the railing and together they gazed at the view ahead.

"Stop mothering me, Susan, for a moment, and look at _that_."

Lucy pointed her hand ahead and her two eldest siblings stepped up to the railing to gaze in the direction she had pointed. Far ahead they saw land stretch out. _Narnia__. _Even from this distance they could see the outlines of the grand, white palace atop the hill.

"Cair Paravel..." Peter breathed and grasped Susan's hand in his own, as if he with pure determination would make her abandon reason and enjoy herself entirely. He knew that his youngest siblings felt what he, too, felt already, an emotion that had become increasingly clearer now that they at last saw Narnian land; that they had at last returned home. Regardless for how long, they were still there and that was all they needed.

Lucy enjoyed the salty breeze as she hung halfway over the railing. She felt the call of Narnia – her _home_ - in her heart and couldn't wait to set foot on land again.

"We're almost there, Luce," Edmund breathed to his younger sister as his eyes sparkled joyously. "I can't wait to see Cair Paravel again!"

The girl laughed with her brother as he climbed higher onto the railing and pulled her higher up along with him as well.

* * *

_The Dawn Treader_ sailed into the harbor barely two hours later and a happy crowd of soldiers, merchants and townspeople came to meet the ship upon its happy return. There were quite some cheers for king Caspian who waved to his loyal subjects and many surprised whispers as the crowd recognized the Pevensies. The cheers soon included the Pevensie royalties as well.

"It's good to be home," Lucy whispered in Edmund's ear. The latter nodded in agreement as they waved down at the people.

A gangplank was laid out from ship to harbor and almost simultaneously a few important looking figures rode up to the front of the crowd on land, the red dwarf Trumpkin at the very front upon a smaller horse than his company. He was dressed in fine clothes of brown silk, befitting a king's replacement, though no crown rested upon his reddish brow.

Caspian's smile was wide as he walked the wooden bridge down to his old friend and greeted the dwarf enthusiastically.

"I didn't expect you back for almost a month more, your majesty," Trumpkin whispered to the Telmarine king with his voice low enough not to be heard over the peoples' cheers. "What went wrong?"

_Always straight to the point_, Caspian mused to himself before he explained shortly, "Unexpected company."

He stood tall once more and turned around to point with his open palm at the Pevensie siblings descending the bridge in pairs, first Peter and Susan and behind them Edmund and Lucy. The Telmarine king took the elder queen's hand to aid her the final distance and led her and her brother over to the dwarf.

"I believe you remember our old friends?" the bearded king asked the red-dwarf with a humorous twinkle in his dark, happy eyes.

Trumpkin looked between the four siblings dressed in their seafarer attire as his eyes accessed the situation. "I'll call for a meeting with the private council as soon as possible."

* * *

After having filled the council in on the events of the past weeks since his departure from Cair Paravel, king Caspian went in search of an old friend. He wandered through the white corridors of the newly renovated palace. His soft shoes barely made a sound on the fine carpets as he hurried along the vast space. He took a left turn and walked towards the large, wooden door that now lay ahead of him. With a firm hand, for he knew the door would be heavy, he grabbed the handle and pushed it open.

The Telmarine king stepped inside the library, the scent of old books and paper filled his nostrils within seconds and he couldn't help but smile at fond childhood memories. The library wasn't as large as the other royal library, yet this was no small collection of antique and unusual books. Caspian had ordered this library to be built especially for his old tutor and now Lord Chancellor.

"Cornelius?" the man asked into the library and his question echoed between the shelves of books. Behind a pillar by a shelf he heard several small thumps followed by a string of low words Caspian couldn't make out, but was sure weren't pleasant.

"Knocked a few books to the floor, boy," came the familiar voice. "I'll be right there; I just have to take care of this. Have a seat!"

The young man looked at the open area in the centre of the library where a table stood, hidden somewhere under a huge pile of books, papers and other artifacts. The table was quite low for the tall king, since it had been designed after Cornelius height as part-dwarf. Caspian still moved a pile of scrolls from one stool and sat down somewhat awkwardly on the short seat, dumping the pile of scrolls on the floor next to him. Not a minute later, Cornelius appeared behind the bookshelf. It seemed no matter how much time passed, the old man would always look the same. His hair looked somewhat wild and with glasses askew, Caspian couldn't help but wander exactly how strenuous the work in a library could be.

"My king!" the elder man's face lit up at the sight of his former tutor and the old man moved over to the table. He tugged on his elaborate robes slightly to straighten them as he came gazed up at the king. "I hear you go by the name of Caspian _the Seafarer_ now."

"I have not properly earned that name yet," the younger man dismissed with a dissatisfied smile. "My voyage upon _the Dawn Treader_ was cut somewhat show, as I'm sure you must have heard."

"I had, as a matter of fact," Cornelius set about cleaning up the contents of the table as he replied. "I'm sorry for the mess; I was just trying to catalog all of this. I thought I'd be done before your return. Though, I am glad to hear about the return of our beloved Kings and Queens of Old."

"Yes. That's why I've come actually, old friend," Caspian said and pushed a few scrolls aside to lean over the table on his elbows. "I just informed my council of a serious event that has me perplexed. As _the Dawn Treader_ was sailing home, we were attacked by _the Mist_."

Cornelius stopped cleaning up the papers and looked at the king with an unreadable look in his eyes. He corrected the glasses up to the ridge of his nose, wet his lips and then slowly said, "_The_ Mist - as in 'all seafarers' nightmare'? And you are unharmed? How can that be? I thought _the Mist_ left few survivors."

"We were all more or less unharmed."

"Then what did it rob _the Dawn Treader_ of?"

"Nothing," the king sighed in exasperation. "This is the part I cannot make sense of. The mist itself, controlled by some sorcerer-"

"Oh, not _some_ sorcerer, boy," the Lord Chancellor interjected and waved his hands for Caspian to continue. "But, go on, I want to hear this."

"It seemed it was after Queen Lucy."

"_Just_ the queen?" Cornelius asked apprehensively. "None of the others aboard?"

The Telmarine pondered it before he shrugged. "It's possible it was, but Queen Susan shot the sorcerer before the young queen or any other could be seriously harmed. For this Queen Susan was herself thrown into the steering wheel, but was only mildly bruised. Some of the crew members were also thrown into the sea, too, but not harmed."

"Mighty strange, indeed…" Cornelius's eyes clouded deep in thought and for a long minute he said nothing. As if remembering himself, he inhaled deeply and returned his eyes to the king on the opposite side of the table. "You wish for me to look into this, do some searching in my books?"

"Could you?"

"Of course," the elderly man nodded and turned as if to get straight to work, but stopped himself. With more hesitance, he turned back around and continued, "It's quite the coincidence, though. That _the Mist_ happens to attack, if I understand correctly, not long after the kings and queens of old return…"

Caspian felt his heart sink in his chest. It was a thought that had crossed his mind also and it disturbed him to hear it repeated as a suggestion now. He cleared his throat and instead asked, "What of the sorcerer? You said it was not just _some_ sorcerer."

"Oh…" Cornelius fumbled with a few books as he searched for the proper words to explain himself. "_The Mist_, as it is, requires a steadfast master. Compare it to a wild stallion, if you will; only a powerful enough man can tame it and control its full powers. The sorcerer who controls that ship must be in control of very powerful magic, perhaps more powerful than any we have heard of thus far."

"He sailed out from the East, possibly from the end of the world," the king said. "Any guess to who it might be?"

There was a short pause in which the old man thought, but finally he shook his head, "Alas, no. I swear to research it in my little library, though. I will do my best."

The king ran a hand over his short beard and then smiled at his old tutor. If there was anyone he could place all of his intellectual trust in, it would forever be Cornelius. "As always, I know you will."

A twinkle appeared in the eyes of the Lord Chancellor then and as he sat down on a seat opposite the king there seemed to be another topic entirely that took precedent in his mind. "Speaking of other news, I hear you are betrothed."

Caspian stiffened in his chair and let out a weary sigh. "Do not tell me words of the promise has reached your ears, too, old friend…"

"A rumor travels faster than its bearer, as you are aware," the old man chuckled amiably. "So tell me, how did this happen? You wasted no time getting reacquainted, did you?"

The king frowned intensely and Cornelius's smile faltered. "It's been three years, I mean," the old man offered as an explanation as Caspian's eyes grew more and more confused. "A long time for feelings to cool off."

The young man shot out of his chair then, knocking over the pile of scrolls he'd moved earlier. "You are mistaken, Cornelius. I know not of what you speak. I am not betrothed yet, I thought you meant my given word to the private council. I assure you, however, there is nothing going on with anyone at the moment. Which has me reminded, I promised I would meet Greagoir to see how I could fulfill my given word. Farewell, friend! Call for me when you have news!"

With a short bow, the king turned on his heel and walked briskly to the door. "Caspian." The king stopped, with the door partially opened and glanced back at his old tutor.

"Living up to one's word is important," Cornelius continued slowly, "but under these circumstances, I would advise you not to take a bride unless positive she is the one for you. Do not let your obligations blind you from what your heart sees."

Caspian pondered this for a second then turned and walked out of the library, leaving his old friend alone with his books and a new task to complete.

* * *

_To be continued._


	8. Serene Intermission

**8. Serene intermission**

"Call me crazy," Lucy began and her siblings all turned to look at her, "but I've been thinking."

"Fine," Edmund said. "You're crazy."

"Wait for it, silly," the young brunette rolled her eyes and threw a handful of leaves in the general direction of her brother. The leaves flew only halfway through the air before it fell short atop the pale wall upon which the queen currently sat.

It was their second day at Cair Paravel, and thus far the new impressions had been plentiful. Caspian had begun to rebuild the castle atop of the old ruins and though most of it was completed and looked just as the Golden Age, there were still some work to be done. On top of this, the king had built a city on the grounds around the castle that was growing more and more each day as new citizens arrived or merchants came to trade their goods.

Though must was similar to the Pevensies, it was thus also completely new. There were new scents and spices on the air, while the heathers sweetly bloomed just like they had over a thousand years earlier. The union of old and new Narnia was the perfect blend for the Telmarine king.

Now the four siblings had wandered to a small garden, surrounded by low, stone walls like a square courtyard. Within the garden was a small, white stone walk between ornate benches and blooming bushes of bright and vibrant colors much as they had never seen before. Caspian had come to call it the Pevensie Garden, in their honor, and the siblings had thus far found it to be their place of solitude when they needed time from all the questions directed at them.

At the center of the serene garden stood a young tree which still had many years to grow to its full size and potential. Since it was nearing fall in Narnia the tree blossomed with pale, pink flowers with such a sweet fragrance that filled the air without being overly sweet. Seated beneath this tree, upon one of the benches was Susan beside Peter, while their younger siblings reclined against one of the lower walls close by.

Lucy gazed over at Edmund and noted exactly how relaxed he seemed as he stood leaned against a pillar beside her. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt with wide sleeves and tight brown pants with long black boots that reached his knees, an outfit reminiscent of his favorite one back in the day. The young queen herself wore a dark orange dress with golden intricate details around the neckline and sleeve openings. She would have preferred to keep the pants borrowed from Caspian; wearing dresses had never been Lucy's favorite part about Narnia.

A lilac, simple underdress vas visible in the wide sleeves below a more intricately detailed, darker colored dress that Susan wore. As Lucy's eyes traveled to her sister she couldn't help but think the young woman was very beautiful under the sun's rays. There was a pang of jealousy in the younger one's heart. Lucy knew she was the plain one, she had always known. It was a petty emotion, she knew, but one she couldn't quite shake. Especially not since her sister grew more and more beautiful by the years, while her sister did not. She'd never share her secret, however, that was one thing for certain.

The eldest brother wore a pale green shirt with tighter sleeves than Edmund's and a jerkin in the same color on top. He wore dark pants and in his wide belt hung the royal sword that had been a gift from Father Christmas so many years ago.

Peter plucked a flower from one of the low branches above his head and twirled it between his fingers as he turned to his youngest sibling. "Well? Will we hear this crazy thought or not?"

"Right," Lucy dangled her feet over the edge of the wall and then stretched her toes out to touch the earth below in the shrubbery. "Well, it's about our return to Narnia. I have a theory. I think Aslan sent us back to stay here. _For good_, I mean."

"We've never been allowed to stay forever," Susan spoke in a reprimanding voice and her siblings noted how her shoulders stiffened almost without a trace. "Our home is England, where we've always been returned sooner rather than later."

"But what if this time _we're not_?" the young girl stubbornly pushed on. "What if Aslan… changed his mind about not letting you and Peter return, because he realized it was your faith to be here also? And now, we'll stay... Think about it, I see no reason why we returned otherwise. I mean, there hasn't been a thousand years of winter or a prince in need of our assistance during the short three years since we were here."

"I don't think so," the elder girl said as she eyed her sister in disbelief.

"She does have a point though," Peter spoke and looked down at the flower between his fingers. "I don't know if you're right, Lucy, but I agree. It's weird not knowing why we're here. It wasn't long since we were here last. Caspian's rebuilt the glory of Narnia. I don't see a reason for our return. Especially not you and I, Susan."

"So you think we were sent here to enjoy the _peace_?" Edmund joined the conversation with a perplexed look on his good-looking face. "You are _both_ crazy then. That's _never_ how it works, and you know it. There might not be any danger right now, but remember _the Mist_ that almost kidnapped you, Lu? I'm sure there's an adventure waiting just around the corner for us, another battle to fight. There always is in Narnia."

"This is our _second_ return, Edmund," his younger sibling scoffed and didn't seem to like being brought back to reality. One of her hands tugged at the bandage around her small hand as she muttered, "it's not like there's a visible pattern to it."

"I agree with Edmund," the eldest girl sighed. "I think perhaps we were sent here for a final installment, something important enough for Aslan to overlook his last words to me and Peter. It will be over soon-"

The eldest Pevensie covered his sister's hand with his own large one to stop her. "Let's not worry about that part. Let's just… enjoy this serenity that we've been given here for a moment." He held out the pink flower for her and after a second, Susan took the peace offering into her hands and accepted the end of the conversation.

"Has anyone seen Caspian, by the way? Didn't he say he wished to join us for lunch?" Edmund asked and strained his neck to look down the pathway to see if the king was approaching or not.

"He's meeting with his private council," Peter explained. "He'll be here soon enough."

"I heard he and Lord Greagoir aren't seeing eye to eye about that little promise of our friend," the dark-haired boy said amused. "The Lord seemed quite irritated that Caspian wasn't as devoted to the task as he had expected."

"No wonder!" Lucy breathed and a small frown touched her brow. "I wouldn't either if I was forced to marry!"

"Especially not when there are more pressing matters to solve first," the eldest nodded in agreement.

"Either way…" Susan began and slowly plucked one petal from the small flower in her hand. As she continued onto the other petals, she continued, "... we should be there for him in this. He could need a hand in some of these royal matters. It is a heavy burden to carry alone. Perhaps a wife is what he needs."

"Oh!" Lucy suddenly breathed as her eyes wandered to the distance. "Here comes the king in question!"

As Caspian X entered the garden through one of the archways beside the two younger siblings it was with a warm smile to all of them upon his tanned, striking face. As soon as he was in their presence it seemed most of his worries melted away and for a fleeting moment he could leave his duties behind.

"How was your council meeting?" the dark-haired boy asked from the Telmarine's left hand side.

"Well enough, thank you," the taller, elder man replied with a mock grimace. "Without much prosperous outcome, I'm afraid. I came up with an excuse to leave early to retrieve this."

The king stepped forward to the bench and held out his hands; Susan hadn't even noticed he'd carried something in them. She had been too preoccupied with the flower which now only had one petal left to pluck. She raised her eyes from the petal to the handsome man and for a second allowed herself to just look at him. Under the sun's rays his hair had a warm color that matched his vibrant eyes. Dressed in a green shirt, bolder in color than Peter's, with wide sleeves according to the highest fashion, he stood dashing and beautiful before her. Her eyes then wandered to the objects he was presenting to her and her face lit up. He had brought her bow and quiver. The Pevensie girl was reminded of when he had attempted to return her horn during her last return and smiled tenderly at him before accepting her weapons.

"I figured you ought to have these instead of the ones borrowed to you," Caspian explained as he took a step away.

"As long as we're on the subject, you should have this back," Peter said then and rose from the bench. He released the sword from his belt and held the weapon out for his friend, who stopped before him. "I gave this to you last time; it belongs in the hands of the current ruler of Narnia."

"But…" the Telmarine man hesitated as he glanced between Susan and Peter with uncertainty written across his face. "It is yours, I cannot carry it. It was given to you."

"And I've given the sword to you," the Pevensie man pointed out with a confident grin as he once more thrust the sword to his friend. There was no doubt in Peter's mind where the sword truly belonged now. "I gave it to you last time when you'd rightfully earned it. Technically, that makes it yours now. I admit, I'm no Father Christmas, but the giving is still passable."

"If you are certain then…" Caspian said and his thick accent quivered with reluctance as he took the sword from the High king.

"It's been in your capable hands for three years now, friend," the Pevensie man assured and patted the other king on the shoulder. "Hopefully it will help you rule Narnia for many more years to come."

* * *

"_This is an outrage!_" Goraidh barked and slammed his fists onto the wooden table and watched it quiver beneath his touch. The blow was so powerful it knocked his copper cup and it disappeared with a clang under the table as if to flee from the man's rage. As soon as the sound died out, silence once more reigned in the grand, dark hall, as if in anticipation of a great, big storm.

Candles aplenty lit up the walls in between the grand windows that were covered by long, linen curtains that fluttered in the warm breeze from outside. Though the sun was high this day that was not something experienced inside the chamber due to this cover. Lord Goraidh rather preferred it this way; sunlight belonged outside in the open anyway.

Lord Goraidh, one of two figures present in the vast, elaborate hall, was a man past his forties with hair as dark as night and eyes the same color. He had long lived a life at the top, but not without its' trials and errors. It was through these that he had learned to be a hard, tough man, and with the years his temper had turned a fiery red, making him much disliked by many servants. The man was well aware of this fact, but he had never truly cared about their affection for him. He had always been of the firm conviction that respect was best kept through spreading fear, and control could always be obtained easier through fierceness.

As it was, these characteristics was in sum what had brought the man here today. His determination, toughness and want for power had shaped him as leader, a part he now wished to expand. The news he had just obtained, however, seemed to put an end to his planned conquest. Thus, his fiery temper had, too, stepped into the game and it was with a murky glare he beheld the second man in the chamber.

"You promised me this would run smoothly," he growled at his company who sat on the other end of the long table while calmly sipping a chalice of wine. It was as if Goraidh's fury had no affect on the man, which only added fuel to the fire as far as the lord's wrath was concerned. The low sun which shone through the curtains reached far enough to still illuminate the seated man and cast a long shadow across the stone floor beside him.

"Who says it isn't?" came the short reply from the man.

The dark lord stopped fuming for a second and leaned heavily against the table top, the wood creaked a little under his angry weight. Goraidh silently inspected the man; he knew this foreigner was a powerful sorcerer. Goraidh was wise enough to know better than to test this man. The sorcerer wore thin, dark clothes beneath a regal, floating cloak with hard set shoulders. The cloak seemed to float around the chair leg's as if made of liquid or mist and barely even touched the ground below. The man also carried the stupidest scepter the lord had ever laid his eyes on, with a porcelain ball at the tip.

All in all, Goraidh found the man's looks foolish. Still, great men with power, the lord was aware, could have a tendency to dress otherwise to lure their enemy. Goraidh himself, for example, wore a loose, white shirt that sat somewhat askew after his tantrum and his boots remained untied. This was all to trick the enemy into thinking he was unprepared when in truth he was anything but.

"What are you insinuating, _Sorcerer_?" the lord question as he ran a hand across his short, thick beard.

"We still need the knife to collect the others' blood, do we not?" the Sorcerer asked. Goraidh nodded in a mute reply. "They are safe in Cair Paravel for the moment, a place we won't be able to enter by brute force at this moment in time. Instead, I suggest you leave it up to me to lure them out of their safe haven."

The lord squinted in suspicion as he stretched tall and glared in confusion across the room. "What do you have in mind?"

"I have a few cards up my sleeves," the other man spoke evasively as he once more took a swig from his wine. "I have a couple of plans so leave this to my care. Give me no more than a week and then we shall be ready to proceed with the next step. An attack from two fronts will be better than from one."

"_What do you have in mind_?" Goraidh repeated himself sternly. He had always hated having to repeat himself and he never allowed such ignorance among his subjects without proper punishment.

"As I said; we lure them out of Cair Paravel…" The Sorcerer smirked and a shadow seemed to flicker across his strong features.

"_How_?"

"By controlling their minds. Should they prove to be as weak as expected I might even need less than a week before they crumble."

"Will you speak plainly for once?" the lord growled and clenched the backrest of his seat to control himself. Though he wanted nothing more than to wring the man's neck, he knew it was in his best interest to keep the magician alive. "I do not follow your course of action. If you wish my assistance you must be clear on this subject."

"When I need your help, I will be," the Sorcerer pointed out in a low voice. Goraidh knew his company, too, was losing his patience and pondered for a second if it was not wise to step back.

"I need something here," the lord semi-pleaded at length. "I will not fulfill my end of our deal if you don't give me information. I must at the very least have an idea of what your plan is. I am a man who hates to be left grasping in the dark, just as you surely are."

The Sorcerer put his narrow fingertips together in a contemplative motion and sat like that for several long seconds that seemed to stretch towards longer minutes. The lord wondered if his threat to abandon their deal had been had been what brought upon this dismay. At length, the Sorcerer rose from his seat as the cloak gracefully floated around his tall form. "Very well, I shall show you the first part to my plan."

Without further ado, he raised his short scepter and Goraidh heard him mutter something in a foreign tongue as the orb atop of the stick glowed an intense pearly, pale shade. He hissed something into the orb and it suddenly seized to shine as the entire room descended into darkness.

Suddenly the strained stillness was interrupted by a strange cackling sort of sound and Goraidh placed a watchful hand upon the handle of his sword that hung on his wide belt. Out of the shadows of the long hall behind the Sorcerer, stepped three beautiful women Goraidh was certain had not been there before. They wore slim, huntress attires and their piercing red eyes were both hauntingly beautiful and terrifyingly repulsive all at the once. The dusky lord took a step back as the maidens stepped towards him with a strange purposefulness.

"Stop," the one lone word of the Sorcerer stopped the vicious ladies and they turned their mad eyes to behold him instead. Their posture seemed more relaxed now, as if they awaited a command instead of being prepared to strike. "Lord Goraidh, these are the Erinyes."

"E-erinyes?" the man questioned as he collected his thoughts. "Who are they? I've never heard of them."

The tallest of the three women, with a bushy head of brown hair and a band of serpents around her head, interrupted the conversation. Her voice was sharp but slithering, as she spoke, "Master, who are we to afflict?"

"Find Peter Pevensie," the Sorcerer commanded in a calm voice. "Do your duty and drive him out of his fortress. Make sure his siblings follow, take them under your control, too, if you can."

The three women gracefully bowed their heads and then backed into the shadows from whence they'd came. Goraidh saw them disappear into nothingness until only he and his guest were left. The lord released his grip on the handle slowly and released a calming breath as he felt the tension subside in the afternoon.

"Who were they?" he asked and pointed in the direction the strange creatures had just disappeared. "And what can three women do?"

"I assure you, my lord," the Sorcerer's voice was amused as his gaze met the other's, "if those creatures performed their _tricks_ on you, you would have taken your own life before sunset."

* * *

_To be continued._


	9. Peter contra mundum

**9. Peter contra mundum**

_You've been back almost a fortnight... Surely Aslan will realize the mistake soon and send you on your merry way, just as your sister has predicted? Be honest with yourself and for once don't pretend the thought has not entered your mind before. _

Peter sighed as he fought back another wave of dusky thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him. When he had awoken in Cair Paravel on their third day back in the castle, he had first sensed a shift inside his mind that he hadn't quite been able to shake since. In the beginning he had been thrilled to be home, a feeling that had not quite subsided yet, but now... The young man wasn't sure.

He'd been having these momentarily lapses of faith when he would ponder whether or not Susan was correct in her hesitant disbelief, not that he'd ever willingly admit as much to his younger sister. More often than not he'd ask himself questions with no answers; _Why had he truly returned when specifically told he would never see Narnia again? Was his unexpected presence thus unwanted? What was his place in this world now that he was meant to have none?_

Needless to say, this secret gloom had put a damper on his mood and he sometimes sought solitude to reach a solution, though none seemed to be found. His siblings - well, perhaps with the exception of Susan then - had acclimatized smoothly and wore happy faces almost all day long. It was easy for them, however, to keep a cheerful smile, for they had never been forced to say a final, heart wrenching goodbye to Narnia only to be pulled back under the most suspicious of circumstances.

Of course, Peter reminded himself, it wasn't Edmund or Lucy's fault anymore than Susan or Caspian was to blame, and he mustn't ever forget that fact.

As the former High king wandered down one of the beautiful, empty corridors of the castle, he couldn't help but ponder why all these thoughts had so suddenly struck him like a bolt of lightning on a cloudless day. He'd been so content there for a while and had simply enjoyed each moment that had been offered to him, regardless of later outcomes.

He was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him, "_Peter!"_

The Pevensie faltered and looked back only to see the tall, regal Caspian stand a few feet behind him, dressed in a velvety tunic embroidered with silver and gold. There was something stiff to the dark-haired king's stance, but he still smiled warmly at his company.

Peter frowned in confusion as he greeted his friend, "I didn't hear you approach."

The Telmarine spoke as if he had not heard the comment, "_I fear only your wisdom as former High king can help me settle a small dispute."_

When no further details followed, the Pevensie man nodded. "... You know I will always aid you in whatever way I can. What is it I can do for you?"

"_Come to the council hall after lunch. I will need your guidance then,"_ the dark-haired king spoke in a deadpan voice the other boy had never heard the king use before. Caspian's rhythmic dialect always seemed to stem from his passionate feelings, but this time the king seemed utterly void of emotions.

Peter frowned and took a hesitant step towards his friend, "Is everything alright, friend?"

"_Co__me to the council hall after lunch,"_ the Telmarine man simply repeated. Clearly whatever it was had to await a more opportune moment. Not one to disrespect his friends or allies, the Pevensie inclined his head in acceptance.

"I will be there later. I promise".

* * *

A man of his word, Peter Pevensie headed straight towards the council hall after sharing a quiet lunch with his siblings. The grand doors to the council hall reminded the king of days past when this used to be his domain and no one else's. The power had been his and he'd wielded it with justice and pride. Those days did not seem so far away now that he was back, yet had never been further from him with Caspian on the throne.

The young man reached out his hand and pushed the heavy, ornate door open. At the center of the room that met him stood a long, dark table with fourteen seats about it and three regal chairs at the very end of the room by the head of the council table. The walls of the chamber were pale stone, here and there decorated with details of Old Narnia, and upon the wall furthest from the door hung a Narnian standard above the table.

As the young man stepped inside he was met with twelve pairs of eyes that gazed upon the former High king most expectantly. At the head of the long, mahogany council table, king Caspian, too, turned to watch the intruder and thus mirrored his most trusted lords. The Pevensie man searched the eyes of his friend but the dark pools were filled with care and none of the emptiness he had seen during their previous meeting.

At length, the Telmarine king leaned back in his regal seat and the wood creaked somewhat beneath him. With a kind grin, he met his friend's curious gaze. "Welcome, King Peter. Did you wish to discuss a certain matter or have you come to join our council today?"

"Neither... I have come to aid you," Peter said slowly and watched as the king's eyes turned from greeting to mild confusion in a heartbeat. What was this game the Telmarine man was playing? "You told me earlier today you needed my guidance… Do you not remember our encounter?"

Caspian's confusion settled into a deep frown upon his features like a shadow. The rest of the council gazed between the two kings without uttering even a syllable. The Telmarine king shook his head once as he scratched the corner of his bearded chin. "I know not of what you speak. I have not asked any such favor, Peter."

"I assure you, you have," the Pevensie spoke firmly and met the king's frown with one of his own. He was certain of it, the Telmarine king even wore the same shirt as previously. It was unmistakable. He took another step into the grand hall as his eyes traveled upon and down the table until his gaze once more met his friend's at the head of the table. "Or are you saying I'm making this up?"

"_Yes!" _Peter was surprised to hear Caspian's sharp voice echo inside his head, but could such a sharp word have come from the king on the other end of the majestic room?

The Telmarine slowly shook his head again and genuine confusion seemed to wrap around him like a cloak. "There must be a misunderstanding between us. May we discuss this after the council, for there are still many matters left to handle and the day is passing swiftly. Will you join us for the remainder?"

"_Though you have no place__ here, Intruder!"_ Caspian's sharp voice hissed in the Pevensie's ear again.

The Pevensie man shrugged off the surprising words flung at him. "No… no," he said somewhat distant. "That's quite alright. I'll come back afterwards."

The last thing he saw before turning away was the confounded looks of twelve lords and their king. Their gazes questioned the mind of the Pevensie king and haunted the man as he fled from the chamber and swiftly shut the door behind him.

Peter leaned against the heavy, oak door and breathed heavily. He tried to clear his thoughts but was unsure how this could be done. What had just transpired in that council hall? Had he simply imagined the conversation with Caspian? What mind ghosts plagued him so?

"Peter?"

He was pulled from the deep well his thoughts had trapped him in and he opened his eyes to wildly gaze at the intruding company. Across from him in the corridor stood Edmund and Lucy with matching gazes of weariness written on their features. They walked up to their elder brother and the eldest quickly pulled himself together as he pushed away from the wall and met them half-way.

"Is something the matter?" the young girl asked.

"Yes... I..." Peter faltered and let his voice blend with the shadows of the corridor. There were no words to describe it, after all. He opened his mouth to make an attempt anyway, but his attention was drawn to the whispers of someone behind him. He glanced over his shoulders and by a corner further down the corridor he saw two guards and Lord Roshan whispering together, every now and then raising their gazes to meet his. He could hardly believe what he saw written so evidently in their eyes as they met his gaze now.

They didn't want him there. Had he been right then? Was he not wanted since he was not supposed to be there? Was he extra baggage deemed unnecessary and a burden to those around him? Maybe the reason why no one had managed to solve the reason of their return was because no one wanted to know. Judging by their gazes they plainly wanted him gone from their lands.

"Why must they stare at me so?" he hissed and turned back to his siblings. He could not help but vent as anger took control of his weary head, "It is as if they do not want me here. They know Aslan said I wouldn't return and now I'm unwanted because I returned with you."

Edmund's pale eyes widened somewhat as he beheld the elder boy before him. He glanced over his brother's shoulder before he asked, "Who stares at you, Peter? There's no one there."

"The guards, of course," Peter spat with a fury. "And the lords of the king's council, I'm convinced of it now. Don't you see them also, not even when I have pointed them out to you?"

"_He's gone mad!"_ Edmund's voice seemed to slither around the oldest boy like a serpent prepared to strike.

"Shut up, Edmund!" Peter snarled back at his brother in irritation that his own brother would make such a crude comment to begin with. He was used to his brother's more playful use of words but that was simply out of the line.

"Why are you telling me to shut up? I haven't said _anything_!" the dark-haired boy claimed with a furrowed brow. If the daze had been obvious before, it was nothing compared to the utter shock that was now transparent in his younger brother's azure eyes.

"I…" the oldest boy began but knew not how to continue. There was something playing tricks with his mind, obviously. The whole ordeal with their return to Narnia had been a bigger strain on his mind than he'd first thought. Maybe all he needed was some time to clear his juggled thoughts. He sighed and let the moment slide, "I'm going to my room. I think I need to rest. See you… later, guys."

Peter didn't notice the worried look his siblings exchanged behind his back. Nor did he see the two pairs of eyes that glowed fiery red in the deep shadows of the hallway.

"_Shall we deal with the others, too, then?"_

_"Not quite yet. We need to win Peter Pevensie's mind first. Afterwards... Well, why not have some fun while we can?"_

* * *

"_You thought I was in need of your assistance? For what reason?" _the voice of Caspian X was undoubtedly disdainful and mocking. "_You have such high thoughts of yourself? You truly believe your past as High King has earned you a right to speak out while I'm king? Don't you trust my ruling hand, Peter? Can I not compare to the king you once were?"_

Peter awoke with a start from his nap and tried to calm his heavy breathing as it raced like a wild horse on a plain. He remembered his bad dream clearly, as if every detail of it was as real as life and no mere fantasy. He had dreamed all of his family along with the king and, it seemed, every inhabitant of Narnia had expressed all the reasons why he did not belong in this fairy tale land.

This inner demon of his was growing more and more unbearable by the hour, and for unknown reasons even to himself he did not want to share this burned with those he loved most dear. Then again, he did not seem to be able to shake the darkness on his own. Though he did not care to discuss his problems with his siblings, perhaps he could turn to his most trusted friend.

He had promised to return after the council meeting to speak with Caspian anyway, perhaps he could breech the subject and get some clarity where he most needed it. His mental collapse was almost too great to carry alone, though it was also the same reason why he should not unnecessarily burden anyone with his pain.

With a deep sigh Peter rose from his bed and prepared to seek refuge with his old friend.

* * *

As he reached the door to the council hall, he found the door slightly ajar and took it to mean the meeting had ended. He raised an arm to push open the door, but haltered himself as he heard the unmistakable voice of the Telmarine king through the heavy wood.

"I am worried for your brother. Peter has been acting strange as of late. He interrupted the council today to speak of... I do not know of what, but it was not true. He claimed I had asked him for guidance earlier today, though last time I saw him was dinner yesterday."

"_I believe he wants his old powers back, he wants to be High king again," _The Pevensie man froze as he recognized his sister's voice. He felt his chest constrict in pain as he continued to eavesdrop. "_He does not trust you, Caspian."_

Peter's mouth fell open in shock as he heavily leaned against the wall beside the door. Had Susan truly spoken such words about him? Did she – Did _they_ believe that about him? If that was the case, maybe they didn't know him, at all.

_But you do miss it, do you not?_ A voice cooed in his left ear. The young man shook his head as if this action would discard the insinuation. It wrapped itself around his heart, however, as a deceitful snake that bit it with its venomous fangs. The poison seemed to travel through his blood and reach the darkest recesses of his soul, where thoughts dwelt he knew not existed.

Was his dream to help aid Caspian X grow into a greater king or was it all for selfish reasons? If so, was Peter's heart the deceitful one?

_You want things to be like they once were, with you as High king._

That thought was absurd on its own! He _wasn't_ High king anymore. He hadn't been for a very long time. Regardless, this wasn't his arena anymore. He and Susan would likely be sent back to England sometime. The future of Narnia was not his to control.

_St__ill, despite all of it, there exists a part of you which aches to have all that power and respect returned to your hands, if only for a moment!_

He remembered last time they'd been thrust back and the satisfaction of taking control as chief ruler and helping the untrained Caspian through the ordeal of reclaiming the lost throne. In the end, he had given up his power in favor of the Telmarine prince, who had proven himself worthy to wear the crown as king.

_King Caspian X is strong… B__ut you are stronger, are you not? You, Peter Pevensie, are the leader the people of Narnia needs._

"If your brother would come to me, I would seek to help him," the Telmarine king's voice spoke and Peter was reminded of the conversation he'd been eavesdropping. He once more turned his attention on Susan and Caspian's conversation in the room beside him. "_But, honestly, __Peter has fallen in my eyes. He no longer deserves the title of High king. Perhaps it would be better if we asked Aslan to send him back to your world…"_

"_Peter has served his part, hasn't he?" _the cold, heartless voice of his sister concurred._ "I don't see why he was sent back with the rest of us. His return could only be seen as a challenge of the right to the throne."_

"_I fear you're right, Queen Susan," _Caspian's voice slowly searched for the right words and before long he concluded, "_If it came to it, I would defend my rule against King Peter. Narnia is mine to rule now, not your brother's. I would defend myself, should he ever challenge me."_

"_Then I would hope you win. My older brother needs to learn his place," _his sister's words stung more than the Telmarine's deceitful and spiteful doubts. So it had come to this. They had sided against him and Peter now stood alone on one side of the abyss with all his loved ones on the other.

He could feel his anger swim to the surface with a feeling of betrayal simmering beneath it all as he pushed the heavy door open. On the other end of the room, close to the head seat stood the conspiring couple and they both turned to the entrance as Peter stepped inside. Their innocent eyes spoke nothing of betrayal and evidently they were done plotting against him. There was not one ounce of regret of having been caught with the hand in the cookie jar.

Peter took one step inside the chamber as he tried to contain his contempt. He wore the pain they had inflicted upon him on his sleeve. He wanted them to see that their mistrust had made his ears bleed.

"I have heard enough of your betrayal," the young man spoke with a quiver to his voice. "How can you turn on me so viciously when I've done nothing to deserve it? Don't pretend to be ignorant, for we all know the truth. We're all adult enough to speak our minds and not whisper behind each other's backs."

"I do not understand, old friend, what have you heard?" The Telmarine asked with a frown but was met with nothing but a furious glare. The young, bearded king took a step forward but his action made the Pevensie man flinch and back towards the door.

"... Peter?" his sister's voice echoed after him as he fled the room with no further explanation. Susan moved as if to follow her brother, but Caspian's hand upon her shoulder stopped her.

"I don't think so... do you?" the king questioned solemnly and squeezed her slim shoulder in support. With friendly pressure he guided them both over to the throne-like seats at the head of the table and sat down.

The brunette dropped into the seat beside him and sighed. The flaming look of accusation she had seen in her brother's eyes still burned fierce in her memory and she had no idea what she'd done to earn such fury. "I don't understand it... Edmund told me that he was acting weird but even combined with what you just explained... I cannot make sense of what's wrong with him."

The dark-haired man leaned closer until their faces were but a feet apart and waited until the young woman raised her gaze to meet his. The Pevensie girl found her eyes captivated by his penetrating compassion and it made her somewhat self-conscious, though she found she could not look away.

With a warm smile upon his bearded face, the king spoke his opinion, "It's possible your brother is having a hard time adjusting to his return here. Much as you are..."

The young woman ducked her head in an attempt to avoid the implication. She knew he meant only to offer her comfort, but as long as he did not know he was the root of her pain, there was nothing he could do. She twirled a strand of her long, curly hair between her fingers as she tried to steer them back on course, "Not Peter, not like this. The Peter I just saw... he was troubled by something, but something darker has infested his mind than what you suggest. I don't know what and it pains me, because I usually always know what goes on in my siblings' minds."

"_Perhaps he sensed your doubt.__ You have done nothing but doubt since your return, have you not?"_

Susan snapped her head up to meet the king's gaze once more. She almost flinched back from him but managed to revoke that reflex as she stuttered, "Wh-What did you say?"

Caspian's own dark pools widened and she read his surprise as if it were written in a book. Slowly, the man spoke, "I didn't say anything. What did you hear?"

The Pevensie woman shrugged as she looked straight ahead. It must have been just her imagination then. She could have sword he had...

Susan felt something warm squeeze her hand upon the armrest and looked down to see the king's larger, tanned hand covering her pale one.

"Is something the matter _with you_?" his soft voice asked and the woman raised her eyes to meet his once more.

_He can never be __yours;_ a shrill whisper reminded her somewhere in the far recesses of her mind. _He deserves someone who can stay with him. He deserves better._

The young brunette cleared her throat and pulled her hand away from under his. There was a quick flash in his eyes of something unreadable, before Caspian nodded and leaned back in his seat. Susan could basically see the truth rip them apart and felt the strain wear on her heart. _But he's not yours to love, is he? He must choose a bride. And it will not be you, Susan Pevensie. Caspian will marry someone else. _

"I... I'm just worried about Peter," said the young woman evasively as she smoothed out a wrinkle in her forest colored dress. "Please, my lord, will you help me figure out what's wrong?"

"I'd do anything for you, my queen."

* * *

_To be continued._


	10. Tormented

**10. Tormented**

The sun's early rays searched its way past the thin curtains and landed on the figure in the wide bed. Susan yawned as she awoke to this cascade of light and warmth running across her face like a lover's caress. She basked in its touch for a second before she froze beneath the covers. The touch upon her skin was warm, but it was not the touch of any rays outside. It was the caress of a hand and at once the young woman was wide awake.

She opened her eyes, turned to gaze beside her and gasped in surprise. Lying next to her atop the pale bedspreads was none other than the Telmarine king. His long, dark hair flowed free around his toned shoulders, barely visible beneath his loose shirt. His dusky eyes burned with a passion that had Susan's heart stop for a second and his tanned hand traveled across her face as if he'd done nothing else his whole life.

"... What... What's this?" the brunette managed weakly as she curled further into the covers but couldn't make herself move away from his caresses. "You should not be in here."

"You want me to leave?" his whispered thick accent almost made Susan forget her plan.

At length, she shook her head. "You should leave."

His hand continued to caress her cheek and slowly sought its way towards her slender neck as the handsome man leaned closer. "That was not what I asked."

Before she had a chance to argue his lips pressed against her with a fervor. His arm traveled downward until he enveloped her slim waist and pulled the young woman closer. Susan found her resolve weaken and her own hand somehow wound up in his long locks as she enjoyed the sensation of his body pressed against hers.

When the king moved to deepen the kiss, the woman felt rationality strike her mind and made her think clearly again. She couldn't do this, it wasn't right. She had her plan and this certainly did not fit into it. Detachment had been the key and this was quite the opposite. Gently she pushed on the man's shoulder as she pulled her head away from his.

As he once more tried to capture her lips in an endless kiss, she whispered, "Don't."

Caspian faltered and pulled back an inch. His passion was momentarily exchanged for perplexity and dismay. His hand tightened around her waist as he brought her even closer to his body. He whispered into her ear, "Why deny ourselves the pleasure?"

"This isn't right," Susan muttered as she struggled against his strong form. The man beside her wasn't acting like she had expected. Something was certainly awry with this image and she needed to get away to make sense of it. "Let me go."

"Afterwards..." he mumbled into her ear as he roughly pushed on top of her. He pressed her hands down on the pillow and the more she struggled, the harder he tightened his grip. Susan hissed at the added pressure but ignored the pain as realization struck her; this was not her Caspian.

With all her weight she rolled out from beneath him and with agile movements managed to get atop of the Telmarine king. He still had her hands captive but there was a distant smirk across his bearded jaw that sent shivers of fright down her spine. "Who are you?" she demanded to know, but there came no reply.

The man beneath her moved with shocking speed as he sat up and grabbed a firm hold of the queen's neck. With no further delay the man suddenly threw the Pevensie woman from the bed. Susan landed hard on the stone floor and felt the wind knocked out of her. She had landed straight on top of her bruised back and felt powerless to get up.

She gazed up and saw the sinister smirk had returned to the man's lips as he started to descend from the bed.

"Caspian, no!" the young woman cried out as he lowered himself towards her.

Seconds later, the door to her private chamber flew open and Susan turned towards her unexpected aid. Standing in the open door way was Reepicheep, followed close by two guards. The young queen was well aware of the mouse's protecting nature, but also knew that Caspian had assigned guards to the Pevensies' chambers at night for as long as their return remained a mystery.

"Milady, is everything alright?" the mouse guard asked as he scurried over to her side.

The woman breathed heavily as she glanced up at her untidy, chaotic bed. There was no sign of any Telmarine king in the room and she swiftly deduced none of it had been real, after all. "It was simply a nightmare, Reepicheep. I am fine," she lied and watched as the worried mouse relaxed beside her.

* * *

An hour after having convinced the patrol that she was unharmed and safe, the young queen found herself alone once more. She had redressed slowly in private, for her back was still sore after her fall to the ground, and she now wore a pale blue dress that matched her eyes and the skies above. Susan hadn't felt like joining anyone for breakfast and had thus skipped it in favor for watching the sunrise on the balcony of her chamber.

As she leaned against the balustrade and faced east, she tried to clear her still shaken mind. The young woman was more certain than ever that something was playing mind games with her, and it could perhaps help explain Peter's mental collapse also. She needed to solve this puzzle before the mental strain grew too much.

"Am I intruding?"

Susan turned around upon hearing the unexpected voice and her heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly upon seeing king Caspian in the open doorway to her balcony. The man wore a beige, collared undershirt beneath a darker, embroidered tunic and plain pants that seemed befit of royalty while still being simple. It reminded the young woman of the outfit the king had worn when they'd said farewell during her last visit to Narnia.

"I knocked on your door, I did not want an event similar to what happened aboard the _Dawn Treader_ to make you indignant again," the king explained as he took her silence as an invitation and stepped onto the small, stone area.

The young woman released an amused breath. "I believe you were the one indignant that time."

"No, no," Caspian disagreed while a playful smile spread across his face. "That's not how I remember it."

Susan met his smile with one of her own but soon lowered her gaze. The memory of this morning still burned bright before her inner eyes and even though she knew that man had not been real, she could still not deny the effect his hot kisses had had on her.

"I... apologize if I step over a line here, my queen, but Reepicheep told me of your nightmare this morning," the man said after a few minutes in silence. He leaned against the balustrade beside the queen as he searched for the right words. Susan could not help but notice the faint glimmer of pain in his eyes and she was at once concerned. "He said in passing that you had cried out my name... in fear. May I ask if I was a source of evil in your dream?"

The Pevensie woman gazed at the sun's ascent over the sea before her as she sighed, "I would rather not say."

Caspian read the truth between the lines without any trouble. "Then I was..."

"It's not... It's not that simple," Susan breathed as she realized the reason for the king's pain. He had taken the blame for what his evil replica had done without even knowing the truth. "It's not what you think. Truth is... I think Peter isn't the only one affected by whatever it is that ails him."

The king leaned close to the woman and worry was the only thing that shone in his dark eyes, dancing with the warm rays of the sun. "If you are unwell, Susan, I ask of you to inform me now."

"I am fine. _I promise._ But... it wasn't a nightmare exactly. I think it was more of... an hallucination?"

Once more, the king knew the words that went unsaid, "Of me."

"Yes." The woman felt the words pass her lips like thorns, each one hurting more than the next, but still she couldn't seem to stop herself from revealing the truth, "When I woke up, you were there in the room with me. I know it wasn't _you_, but it looked like _you_. I thought it was for a second, too, but it felt wrong..."

"So I wasn't my usual devilishly handsome self then?" Susan chuckled tenderly as she lowered her gaze. The king pushed on, "What did I do? Or... My replica."

The young woman felt her cheeks burn. "You kissed me, my lord."

There was a brief pause in which one could only hear the distant chirps of the birds and the waves crashing against the shore far below the hillside. At length, the king found his voice, "... Kissed you? I see. Was I good?"

The young woman grimaced. "Please don't joke about it. When you... _he _kissed me, I knew it wasn't real. It felt wrong. I tried to push him away but he wouldn't stop."

"I wouldn't stop kissing you? I did not..." the Telmarine king struggled with the words as if they caused him even more pain. His eyes fell down to her hands and he gently raised her right wrist to have a better look. There upon the wrist was the distinct bruise of a hand beginning to take shape atop of the ivory paleness of her skin. "... _force_ myself on you, did I?"

Susan shook her head pointedly as she tugged on her sleeve to cover the purple mark. "I expressed my unwillingness and he threw me out of the bed. That's when the guards rushed in and the hallucination disappeared. I pretended it was nothing but a nightmare and would have preferred that truth over the look in your eyes now. You think I'm mad?"

The king stretched tall with a deep sigh that seemed to exit from his soul as he beheld the beauty beside him. Honesty shone in his eyes as he replied, "Not at all. I am merely hurt that someone has upset you so using my visage. I apologize-"

"You didn't do anything," Susan mused.

"Nonetheless, it is my face that now haunts you," Caspian contradicted as his gaze flew across her face.

"No," the young woman disagreed. "Not that way. You could _never_... I told you, I knew it wasn't truly you."

"I would still like to chase away those awful memories..." the king mumbled as his hands hesitantly landed on her slender shoulders and he stepped closer. "I do not want you to look upon me and think of your personal ghoul."

The tall man leaned down and gently pecked the queen's pale cheek. Susan drew a sharp intake of breath as she felt his heat so close to her own body. She heard his unsteady breathing as he lingered with his face beside hers and the woman closed her eyes tight as she reveled in the moment. As opposed to this morning, this time it felt like the real thing. The hesitancy, the heartfelt apology and the genuine affection could not be denied and the way he lingered to make sure she was not frightened touched her heart and threatened to knock down the barriers she had so carefully built between them.

She ran her small nose up and down the length of the king's as they shared a breath in the small space between their bodies. It took all of Susan's willpower to step back but she pulled away from the man's embrace with a weak stuttered, "W-we can't."

Caspian stood before her as one half of a whole for a second before he collected himself enough to question, "Why not?"

For the first time since her return, Susan allowed the man to see her own heartache as her eyes danced with unshed tears. "You know why not. Besides... We should find Peter. I want to know he's alright."

* * *

Not half an hour later, Susan and Caspian conversed of silly nothings as they walked beside each other onto the exercise fields. Reepicheep had informed them that he had seen the eldest Pevensie heading there earlier during the morning.

As they passed the archery area, the young queen lingered a moment beside the targets. Several simulation dummies made of hay and grain bags hung from several ropes with a bulls eye at the center of the 'chest'. The evil faces drawn upon the dummies heads were laughable at best and she bemusedly looked closer.

"Drew them myself," Caspian admitted as stopped beside her.

"Oh, I see…" the woman failed to hide her amusement and ducked as the king pushed one of the dummies so it swung in her general direction.

Suddenly the couple heard raised voices ahead and hurried forward. As they rounded the corner of the weapons' armory both of them stopped short upon the sight that met them. Out on the vast, flat area reserved for sword practice stood Peter Pevensie. The young man ducked and swung his sword here and there as if combating a mighty foe. The only problem was that the eldest Pevensie was completely alone as he shouted upset words and continued to fight.

"Peter!" Susan called out and her brother stopped fighting for a second. His eyes wandered from his sister to the Telmarine king by her side. At once, his eyes widened in surprise. He glanced back at the empty air he'd fought and then back to Caspian.

"How did you get over there?" the young man shouted in confusion and pointed towards the man with his sword.

"Who are you fighting, Peter?" the Telmarine man called back.

"I'm fighting _you_, Caspian!"

* * *

Lucy's small knuckles rapped quickly on the door to the small library and she exchanged a look with Edmund before a voice called them to enter. They stepped inside and looked over at Dr. Cornelius, the half-dwarf smiled over at them. The old man stood behind his table, upon which two large books laid, one open before him and of such impressive size the siblings wondered how he'd carried it there.

"Your highnesses," the good man bowed. "What can I do for you?"

"We've come about our brother," the dark-haired boy said as he decided to cut straight to the point. "There's something weird about him. It's like he's gone mad. He's been hearing voices and seems to think everyone is conspiring against him."

"High king Peter?" Cornelius frowned. "Tell me everything!"

The siblings proceeded to tell them all that they knew and the Lord Chancellor listened carefully to their story. When they finished, the old man simply frowned up at the pair.

"I wonder if he's been _driven _mad," Cornelius muttered. He closed the large book before him and reached for the other one. It was dark and seemed old enough to fall apart at any second. Nonetheless, the half-dwarf threw it open and quickly searched for a page.

"Do you know what's become of our brother then?" Lucy asked and the worry in her voice mixed with a glimmer of hope.

"I'm afraid I do, my queen," the old man replied as he stopped upon the right page. "But if I'm correct, this is serious indeed."

"Well?" Edmund's wide, fearful eyes watched the Lord Chancellor impatiently. "What's the matter?"

"He's haunted by _the Erinyes_, also known as _the Furies," _Cornelius explained. "They are ancient beasts, created out of spite and vengeance when darkness still was young. Their task in the beginning of things was to avenge those who'd been wronged and drive the impure to insanity as punishment. In time they fell from this path, corrupted by the very darkness they were sent to take vengeance on. It is said Janis affected them by her magical powers. The Erinyes now use their powers more for fun than for fulfilling their duties."

"_How_? How do they perform their duties?" the Pevensie boy questioned.

"They are not of this world and have powers I don't fully comprehend. They can somehow read what a person thinks deep within; they can feel people's deepest secrets and their guiltiest conscience. They lure out the bad in everyone, even the kindest of hearts has sometime had dark thoughts. The Erinyes use what they learn to create hallucinations and the like to drive people insane."

"That could be it, Edmund!" his sister breathed.

_Cornelius __is a man of great knowledge, isn't he?_ A shrill voice whispered in Lucy's head. _You wish you were just as smart, but you never can be. And you can't ever be as beautiful as Susan or as strong and powerful as your brothers. _

The brunette opened her mouth to continue when realization hit her about her own devious thoughts. "I think I hear them, too!"

Edmund snapped his head in her direction and worry spread across his features. "What do you mean, Lu?"

"Haven't _you_ heard a voice in your head? Telling you to listen to your inner thoughts and start doubting yourself? I have! It's hard not to be swept away by what they're saying, I'll admit. It's possible they've been after Peter for days! Maybe even longer! It must be impossible not to listen to them, especially if they strike the right chords. Impossible not to go insane!"

"What are they telling you then?"

"Never mind that!" Lucy turned back to Cornelius. "How do we stop them?"

* * *

"_Peter_!" Susan shrieked as her brother launched at Caspian with his sword drawn. The Telmarine king leaped out of the way and glanced back at the woman. He didn't want her to get caught in the crossfire and so backed further onto the field where Peter's sword couldn't reach her.

"I do not know how I have done you wrong, Peter, but let us talk about this between men and not through our swords!" the bearded man pleaded as he readied himself for another attack. He opened his arms wide, away from his own sword that hung on his belt, to show he didn't wish to fight, but there was an undeniably murky look in the other man's wild eyes.

"_Talk_?" The eldest Pevensie boy called back and flew forwards to attack. Caspian barely manage to sidestep it as the sword almost graced his right thigh. "I wanted to talk, but you jumped at me first with words and then with your sword. _I_ don't know what I've done to be deceived this way! Not by you, nor by my siblings!"

"Take a good look at yourself, Peter," The Telmarine said calmly as he tried to mask his inner thoughts. This was a side of his friend that he had not even known existed. Reminded of what Susan had told him, Caspian was assured that something had driven Peter to this point.

"Stop this! _Peter_!" Susan shrieked from the sidelines. She wanted to join the boys but knew one more person could be the last straw for her brother's frail mind. She was forced to watch helplessly as her brother completely lost the last traces of sanity. All she could hope was that Caspian wouldn't be injured by this mad charade.

"_You could never save him,"_ a voice whispered in her ear and the young woman froze as she felt her heart go cold as ice. Something about the voice reminded her of the false king in her bedroom this morning, perhaps they were the same deviant entity. _"In fact, all your presence here has done is to prevent him from his true path. You're nothing but an inconvenience and prevent the king from finding the happiness he deserves."_

"Leave me alone!" the brunette whispered and hurriedly covered her ears.

Caspian's head shot up as the young woman fell onto her knees on the grass. As he saw the woman's pained expression his worry increased tenfold. "Susan!"

Just as he took a step towards her, he heard something fly through the air and ducked and rolled just in time as Peter's sword struck the air where the other man had just been. The Telmarine king pushed onto his feet and spared one anxious glance at the woman before turning his gaze back to the mad threat before him. He had to focus on one Pevensie at a time here, no matter what his heart desired, and since the man was armed, the decision was simple.

"Peter! This is not you, there is something wrong! Listen to your heart, you know I'm right!"

_He knows nothing!_ The Pevensie shook his head to clear it from the dusky thoughts that ran his mind. _A king without knowledge is useless to Narnia; it will only hurt those who need to be protected by a strong king. By someone like you. _Peter bellowed, "Shut up!"

"_T__oo scared to fight me?"_ Caspian's voice floated over to him. _"We both know I was meant to lead this nation to grander things than you ever could! You are weak, Peter."_

"Peter?" the Telmarine asked and took a tentative step towards the Pevensie man. "Lower your sword, and we will talk about this. Between men… kings… brothers."

"You are trying to trick me! I'm just as powerful as you are, and as clever! You won't deceive me and throw me out of Narnia!"

"Why would I wish that? I haven't even drawn my sword! Look!" Caspian raised his empty hands once more to prove his point. "How could I have started a sword fight without drawing my weapon? Think about it, friend!"

Peter paused momentarily. He seemed almost drunk as he staggered in his steps and breathed heavily while the long sword rested in his firm grasp. Sweat ran down the man's forehead and there seemed to be a fever in the fair man's eyes mixed with the darkness that subsided there. There was almost a red tint in his glowing, furious eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong," Caspian encouraged and took a step forward, knowing full well that he had just placed himself within the range of Peter's sword. The long-haired man glanced once more over the other man's shoulder and saw Susan curling up into a smaller ball as she covered her ears almost desperately.

In that moment, Peter jumped forward in a blind fury. The other man wasn't swift enough this time as he ducked from the attack. The sword cut into his upper arm and Caspian hissed as the warm, red fluid stained his sleeve. It was just a flesh wound, though, and the king covered the wound with his other hand to still the blood flow as he backed away a couple of steps.

"And leave my sister alone – don't hurt her!" the Pevensie man shouted. As he spoke, however, his eyes weren't on the king anymore but rather fixed on something the other man couldn't see to his right.

"Susan!" Caspian turned around as Edmund, Lucy and Cornelius ran towards them. As her younger brother reached her side, the brunette was basically shaking in evident distress. The dark-haired boy shook his sister's shoulders and her eyes shot up to meet his. For a second they were clouded and far away before they cleared and she pulled Edmund in for a tight hug. "It's alright, Su."

"What is this madness?" the Telmarine king shouted as he jogged across the grass to join them now that Peter was busy with the invisible foe.

"_Erinyes_," the Lord Chancellor explained simply. "We must kill them."

"How?" Caspian asked and glanced about. He had heard of _the Erinyes_ – beautiful, yet repulsive, beings that drove people to insanity by using their conscience against them. "I see no one."

"Peter sees them," Lucy pointed over to her brother who one more was battling what could not be seen. The young girl moved to walk over but the king of Narnia's hand shot out and stopped her firmly.

"He's driven mad already, there's not much we can do. And armed as he is we must try another approach for talking will get us nowhere."

As soon as the Telmarine man had said those words, Peter stopped swinging his sword as his gaze instead wandered the length of the field. It seemed the foe had fled from him and left the mad man alone. The Pevensie wasted no time as he sped after and swiftly ran off the exercise fields.

* * *

_To be continued._


	11. The Erinyes' deceptions

**11. The Erinyes' deceptions**

"_Peter_!" Lucy shrieked as her brother vanished out of sight and pulled free from Caspian's protective grip to follow him. She heard her sister cry after her and the flutter of fabric as the others pursued her but she didn't bother to look back.

Her small, swift steps led her down the marble stairs towards the stables easily. She rounded a corner and stopped in a sudden flash upon seeing Peter ahead. He stood stoically a few yards before her with a crocked grin upon his full lips. Lucy noted that while she breathed heavily from the run, her brother's breaths came calm and steady.

"_Always chasing after, never the one to lead, eh?"_ he mocked and crossed his arms over his muscular chest. _"Isn't it time to grow up – teeny, tiny Lucy? Or will you remain a child forever, always wanting what you can't have and envying your siblings? Pathetic child! No wonder mother loved you least!"_

The girl staggered backwards and watched as her brother suddenly transformed into a tall, beautiful woman in a huntress attire. The woman had long, blonde hair and cackled with laughter. The young queen shivered as she sensed the woman's true, dark nature. She didn't need to guess twice as to what this repulsive beast was; one of _the Erinyes_.

"Lucy!" Edmund reached her side with the others close behind him just as Lucy saw _the_ _Erinye_ vanish into thin air. The young man shook his sister's shoulders until she raised her gaze to meet his. The dark-haired boy read the depths of her pale pools as he asked, "What happened? You saw one of _them_, didn't you?"

The girl nodded. "Come on! Peter has a good head start on us already!"

Together the group rushed towards the stable buildings further down the slope from the exercise fields. Outside they saw several confused guards muttering between each other with matching dazed looks. The Telmarine king hurried towards them as the others looked for signs of the Pevensie boy's whereabouts.

The guards all bowed to their king as he demanded, "If Peter Pevensie arrives do not let him leave the stables!"

"My lord, he has been here already," the chief guard spoke and a look of penitence crossed his bearded features.

"What, when?" Susan asked as she stepped up beside the king. Caspian heard the sound of fabric tearing and gazed down as he felt something touch his arm. He saw the brunette beauty tie a makeshift bandage from a tear o her grand, blue dress. There was a tired determination upon her features as she raised her gaze to meet his. The king could only smile in reply for in that moment the guard continued.

"He arrived in a hurry, as if chasing something none of us could see. He took a horse and rode out in pursuit of it. We didn't dare stop him."

The brunette glanced back as she saw her siblings rush into the stables to gather horses for them as well, before she turned back to the guards. "Where did he ride? Did you see in which direction he rode?"

"Yes, my queen," the man inclined his head. "He rode Southeast. He cried out something about a forest. He said he would end something where it began."

"The forest where we first met," the Telmarine man whispered at once and exchanged a look with the queen by his side, as Edmund and Lucy exited the stable with five horses. The guard handed his sword to and dagger to the eldest girl upon Caspian's request. The three Pevensies along with the Telmarine king swiftly mounted their horses and Cornelius, who was but a little slower than the rest, soon followed them.

As the Lord Chancellor got on his hose, Edmund turned towards him and asked, "How did we kill them now again?"

"Face your fears and guilty conscious, it's only when you allow yourself to face your own troubles that you can see _the Erinyes_ and kill them. Any weapon will slay them then, for the hard part is acknowleging the truth of oneself without faltering."

With those words the company of five set off in full speed down the hill and out of Cair Paravel. Caspian took the lead and steered his brown mare southeast. Just as the head guard had said, he saw recent indents in the ground from hooves and willed his mare to fly swifter over the open grounds. The ride was almost twenty minutes before they reached the same forest where the Pevensies had first met the then inexperienced prince.

The Telmarine king followed the trail of hooves in the mud and broken twigs as he steered the group further into the woods. The sun was still high in the sky and he didn't fear he would lose track of Peter any time soon. In fact, after another minute he thought he heard the man's voice far off in the distance and signaled for the others to slow their horses. They reached the confused, hallucinating king shortly and dismounted in between the narrow trees and thick shrubbery. The eldest Pevensie seemed completely and utterly agonized as he fought the invisible force once more, unaware of the company he'd just received.

"_Peter_!" Susan shrieked and moved to step forward when suddenly an _Erinye_ appeared right before her face. The tall woman made the queen stumble backwards into her horse, which hardly reacted to this push as it calmly continued to eat from a nearby bush.

"_So much doubt in one person,"_ the beast being spoke in a sharp, dusky voice. _"And all this doubt, a true fear indeed. Let me show you. Let me show you what your presence here has disturbed in the natural order of things. Your worst fear is true, child."_

The Pevensie girl frowned as the woman disappeared into nothingness and Susan looked into the deep of the forest around them. She saw nothing but the trees and green colors of the woods until a rustle of leaves further on their right drew her attention. She saw something disappear behind a larch tree.

Susan handed the dagger over to her sister while she kept the sword for herself and ran off into the woods. Lucy watched her sister disappear into the forest and called after her in confusion. The others turned at her call, but Susan had already disappeared in the deep, mysterious vegetation around them.

"Where did she go?" Caspian asked with evident worry in his voice as his wide, brown eyes scanned the forest.

"I'll follow her," the Lord Chancellor assured and rushed off in the direction the queen had recently gone.

"We deal with Peter then?" Edmund asked as he turned to the king on his left hand side.

At the same time Lucy saw the blonde haired _Erinye_ that had tormented her once already appear to the left of the group. The beautiful beast beckoned her to come with a nasty, suggestive smile and with a final glance at the men beside her, the young, brave girl sped off.

Her brother saw her dash into the deep vegetation, cried out her name and when she didn't heed he sped off after her with no regret. His heart hammered in his chest as fear filled his mind. He could not fail his youngest sister, he simply could not leave her to the foul creatures and their mind games. If Lucy was somehow hurt, Edmund would never forgive himself.

Caspian glanced between the two directions their small company had disappeared to and then turned his attention back to the agonized Peter ahead. This time, the Telmarine man placed his hand on the handle of his sword as he began to approach. It was just the two of them now and he would do whatever he could not to injure the young king, but he'd already been grazed by the sword once and wouldn't risk losing a limb, or worse, next time.

"Peter!" he called and the fair king stopped fighting his foe and lowered his sword slightly. When he finally noticed his new company, he once more shifted his eyes between one fixed point in the forest and the Telmarine king. Caspian boldly stepped even closer and said, "It's time to end this madness."

"You're right," the Pevensie agreed and faced the real man approaching. "It's you or me now. To the death."

* * *

Susan lifted the hem of her long, blue dress as she hurried after the shape ahead of her. Behind her, she could hear the strained, tired voice of Cornelius calling for her to stop but he was far behind due to his tired, old legs and the girl didn't much feel like obliging him this once.

"_Susan!"_ the young woman stopped as she heard her name called from another source and looked around. She could see nothing but trees, bushes and all around the deep, green of the forest. Still, she sensed something unfamiliar that made the serenity around her shatter into a thousand pieces and scatter on the eastern wind.

"Show yourself!" she cried out.

Her words had scarcely died on her lips when a beautiful vision of Caspian appeared before her. He seemed a few years older with his longer beard and dressed in a long, purple coat over a white shirt and brown pants. Around his waist was a thick belt that held his elegant sword in place. He smiled at her warmly with that special smile of his and the young woman could do nothing but return the grin even though a voice in her heard told her it was all a trick.

Her heart plummeted at once when another figurine entered the picture before her. It was a woman that seemed to radiate like the stars with waist-long, golden hair and a shimmering, pale dress that accentuated her tall, lean figure splendidly. Susan wasn't sure she'd ever seen anyone as beautiful as this. On her hip, the fair woman carried a young boy who couldn't be more than three-four years old.

The Pevensie girl could almost hear her heart break inside her chest as the realization struck her harsh across the head. This pretty image of man, woman and child was undeniable. It was a joyous family that now smiled at her expectantly. This was a family - _a life_ - Susan had prevented with her return to Narnia. It was suddenly so very clear to her now that the_ Erinye_ spoke the truth. Her presence was disrupting the future Caspian could and should have without her. She, alone, had ruined his happy future and therefore the man himself.

The hallucination disappeared and in its place, the fierce _Erinye_ took form once more. The Pevensie woman jumped back in shock and stumbled on the hem of her dress ungracefully. The brown-haired beast looked at her with shining, red eyes and a dark grin upon its face as it walked towards the shaken queen.

"_Always losing, are we?"_ the_ Erinye_ cackled and Susan shuddered from the menacing sound. _"This life was never yours, for you don't belong in this world."_

"He could still be happy…" the queen whispered meekly in an attempt to justify herself.

"_N__ot with you! Never with you!"_ the_ Erinye_ shrieked and reached out a hand with sharp claws towards Susan's neck as if to strangle her. Despite this, the queen didn't move an inch, frozen in place by fear and dread of what she had just seen.

"Susan!" Cornelius' voice echoed in the forest not far behind the young queen and it helped pull her back to the present moment.

"Perhaps not," Susan whispered and shivered greatly as the beast's cold hand closed in around her throat. "But I will do all in my power to help find him happiness, even if it means leaving Narnia forever."

With those words, she stabbed the_ Erinye _with the sword she carried.

* * *

"Lucy!" Edmund called out as he spotted the red dress of his sister up ahead. The young girl sat on her knees in the middle of the low, flowering shrubbery. The boy slid down beside her and grabbed her shoulder while she gazed up at him with a desolate look in her pale eyes. He'd never seen her so desolate and despaired before and it broke even his heart. "Oh, Lucy…"

"I'm weak…" her words were almost not loud enough to hear but Edmund heard her. "I'll never be as good as you, or Susan or Peter… I'll always be little Lucy."

"Don't listen to that beast!" the dark-haired boy shouted and shook his sister's shoulders a bit harsher than he'd intended. He couldn't let her vanish into this pit of despair, he would never willingly watch her fall to pieces like this. "Whatever it's telling you, don't listen!"

"_Yes, listen,"_ the blonde _Erinye_ beckoned and Edmund fell back in shock as the creature made itself visible and knelt close before them. The blonde creature watched the boy with a scrutinizing, red glare.

"_You want to know why we haven't faced you__, king Edmund, yet?"_ the _Erinye_ asked with a leering look upon its entrancing face.

"I think I'll pass, thank you," the boy said as he sat up and once more gripped his sister's shoulders close.

"_You're too weak to care about__! You were the weak link when Jadis appeared, and you will always be the weakest link of your siblings,_" the blonde creature cackled and then turned back to the young queen. _"Listen to me, Lucy. What I say is the truth. I'm merely confirming what you've known all along… You'll never be as beautiful as Susan or as strong as your brothers."_

"Trivial things…" the girl whispered and Edmund thought he saw a red glint in Lucy's sad eyes.

"_And Aslan…"_

"Aslan?" the girl blinked repeatedly and the red glint disappeared in her eyes at once.

"_You must be wondering why he hasn't revealed himself to you yet, why he hasn't stepped out to explain why you've returned. You__'re beginning to doubt him, are you not?"_

Lucy's eyes cleared entirely as she met _the_ _Erinye's_ gaze full on. "You're mistaken. I may doubt myself, but I would _never_ doubt Aslan!"

With those words, she stabbed _the Erinye_ with her short dagger and there was a terrible shout of pain that echoed between the trees before there was nothing but black blood in the bushes before the siblings.

"Oh, thank Aslan, Lucy," Edmund breathed in immense relief and hugged his sister tight to him.

* * *

Caspian and Peter's swords clashed over their heads. Both men had fought ever since encountering each other, much like they had that very first meeting. Due to the ground being covered with vegetation and uneven, the battle was difficult but both men fought like seasoned veterans.

"Can't you see the insanity in this? Why would I fight you?" the Telarmarine king attempted to reach through to Peter for the millionth time. He feared for his dear friend now more than ever for Peter's eyes had turned completely red and demonic. Caspian worried that it meant it was too late to reach through to him. Still, the king refused to give up. He could never face the others, or himself, if he gave up on his best friend and comrade.

_Narnia needs a strong king,_ the voice whispered once more in the Pevensie's ear. _Caspian's not that king. Kill him, and take the throne. You know Narnia would prosper under your rule. _

"Peter, listen to me…" the bearded man blocked another assault and pushed the Pevensie man away. Peter's foot struck a bush and he tumbled to the forest floor as Caspian continued, "I'm your _friend_, Peter. You're being deceived by the_ Erinyes_; their mission is to use your conscience against you. They've turned your guilt into something else, into something you're fighting against. It's not me you're fighting here, it's yourself."

Peter shook his head to clear it but could hardly put together a coherent thought. Still, what his friend was saying sounded so true, so honest. This did, indeed, not appear to be the same young king who had challenged him to a duel earlier on the exercise field and lured him into this fight. The Pevensie king tried to focus on Caspian's words. He'd said something about the… _Erinyes_? Could it be true that he was being controlled by a dark force?

_No, __Caspian is jealous. He wants to dispose of you while you show weakness. He took the throne from you, and now he will take your life. Unless you take his first!_

"I won't fight you, Peter," the Telmarine king said finally and lowered his sword by his side. "You must trust me."

The other man's red eyes watched the young king and for a few seconds he did nothing. Both men glared at each other as the tension hung in the air between the vast trees. Caspian tried to disguise the fear in his eyes, both for his own safety and for the sake of Peter's almost lost soul. With a sluggish move, the Pevensie king stood once more from the forest floor, still without his gaze trailing from the other man's. The piercing red eyes were hauntingly void of human emotion as he stretched to his full length.

With a swift movement, Peter stepped forward, raised his sword and pierced his friend's shoulder with the strong blade. As the man withdrew the sword, the Telmarine gasped in pain and fell to his knees, rustling the bushes as he did.

Time seemed to run slow for the Telmarine king who tried to regain control over his shocked breathing and erratic heart. He could feel the warm blood run down his chest and torso, and the world around him began to swirl. Caspian watched, as if from far away and not himself present, as Peter raised his right foot and placed it against the other man's shoulder.

"Peter, no!" Caspian recognized the voice as Edmund's and it was coming from somewhere on the left.

With one hard kick, the Pevensie man kicked the Telmarine man to the ground where he remained down. Peter saw the young king gaze up at him while staggering breaths shook his body. Soon after, Caspian's head fell limp to the forest floor and he remained unmoving.

"_Caspian_!" it was Susan's terrified shriek this time that pierced the air. The heart wrenching sound seemed to linger between the trees, becoming a part of the brooding forest, as time stopped around the group of people closing in on Peter.

"_Kill him, kill him now and reclaim your throne!"_ a third voice cried. Peter recognized it from his own sinister thoughts and heeded its call. He raised the bloody sword up above his head with both hands. The Telmarine king lay before him in the shrubbery – open and exposed for a lethal stab. All it would take now was for the Pevensie man to swing down with the weapon and King Caspian would be no more. The Pevensie would be able to reclaim his rightful throne.

"_Kill him!"_ the voice urged again.

Peter inhaled slowly and swung the sword towards its target.

* * *

_To be continued._


	12. Repentance

**12. ****Repentance**

Just as Peter was to stab the fallen man's exposed chest, something threw itself between the sword and its intended target.

The young man haltered when he saw his sister lying atop of the unconscious king, protecting him from the sharp blade. The Pevensie man frowned as his gaze wandered down to the weapon in his hand. It was as if the haze which had until now so completely conquered his mind began to fade away and lose control. What had he been about to do? Peter wasn't quite sure, but he had almost killed his sister to achieve it. The tip of the sword was already covered with blood and a lone, red drop ran down the length of the steel until it reached the handle.

"_Your sister has chosen – chosen King Caspian X over you!__ She has taken a stand, you must kill her, too, and all who stand in your way!" _

The former High King blinked to clear the darkness of his thoughts. The eerie whisper mismatched with the sight before him and aided him towards further clarity. Slowly, he began to believe the possibility that the only deception here had been his own.

"Kill her, too?" he asked hoarsely and glanced from the red stain on his sword to the fallen king on the green shrubbery. Peter noticed a string of blue fabric wrapped around the man's bleeding upper arm and a gaping red spot on his shoulder that seemed to widen with every second. The Pevensie boy's eyes widened and his face blanched as he realized his own deeds.

"Don't listen to _the Erinye_, Peter!" Lucy shrieked from somewhere behind him but the young man could not turn from the truth before him. "Just kill it!"

"_They're preventing you from obtaining your rightful power!"_ a dusky voice hissed. The man looked up into the green woods beyond Caspian and Susan, where a tall, slim woman stood with bushy, brown hair and a band of serpents in her hair. She wore a leather, huntress attire and in her red eyes shone a powerful hate that made the man's heart falter.

"_You must kill them."_

"No," Peter breathed and staggered around the couple on the ground towards the_ Erinye_, gaining more strength with each step. The hold of darkness that reigned over him was swiftly coming to an end. Freedom was close at hand and he fought for it with every inch of his iron will as he approached the woman. "I don't desire this power, I do not wish to rule over King Caspian or my siblings. I'll never kill anyone I love, least of all my family."

The_ Erinye_ snarled at him and raised its hand in a swift motion. The young man saw something metallic reflect the sun's light in her hand, but his own reflexes were much quicker than the creature's. He wasted no time as he impaled it upon his sword all the way to the hilt. As the woman shrieked, the man ducked and covered his ears from the shrill noise. The_ Erinye_ was dead and gone then, and if it hadn't been for the dark blood on the vegetation and the gnawing guilt in Peter's mind, he would have thought it had never been there at all.

As soon as she disappeared, the eldest Pevensie felt as if a heavy weight lifted from his burdened shoulders and he could once again breathe and think freely. He inhaled deeply, feeling the sweet air of empowerment and familiar heart return to him. Not a second passed before the guilt of his actions hit him square in the gut and he swirled back to watch the fallen king of Narnia.

"…Caspian?" Peter breathed as he dropped his sword, hurried over to his sister and knelt by her side.

The young woman had ripped loose another long piece of fabric from the hem of her dress. She pressed the fabric against the stab wound on the Telmarine's shoulder and the siblings watched as the fabric quickly stained a deep crimson. Peter's heart ached within his chest as he heard his sister's mournful sniffles. He could but gaze at her solemn profile with no notion how to help her. He was the cause of this gruel event and the fault was all his own. In one stroke of guided madness, he had murdered his closest friend and wounded his own dear sister beyond repair.

"Susan…" the man's voice broke and he found himself unable to complete a sentence. He did not know the words to this apology, for not a single word he could think of could ever remedy what had transpired.

"I know," his fair sister whispered and wiped a quiet tear that dripped from the corner of her eye, soon chased by others. Slowly she raised her gaze to meet his, and Peter's heart constricted even further at the look in her red-shot eyes glimmering with grief and heartbreak. "I know, Peter. It's _not_ your fault."

The man ignored her words of comfort. "Is he…?"

"He's still alive," the brunette assured even as she handled the bloody fabric against Caspian's wound with shaking hands, "But we have to get him back to Cair Paravel and heal him with Lucy's cordial swiftly. Help me get him to sit up so I can tie a makeshift bandage round his torso."

* * *

Caspian felt inexplicably tired, as if he hadn't slept a single night through his entire life. It felt as if he had literally been drained from all the strength his muscles and mind had ever possessed. Still, ironically, enough, he felt as if he had done nothing but sleep for days and days.

He struggled hard against the tight hold of sleep and managed to crack open a heavy eyelid. He saw a blurry mass of purple and wood above him and blinked a couple of times to regain focus of his surroundings.

As soon as he attempted to clear his mind, his senses also strengthened. He immediately felt a strange tingle in his left shoulder and right upper arm. It felt like a butterfly's wings had kissed his body and though long gone, he could still feel their caress on his arm and shoulder.

The man closed his eyes once more and tried to remember the events that had brought him to this moment. He remembered flashes at first. Flashes of confusion, pain and blood. A battle between himself and… _Peter_. Caspian suddenly recollected everything. He had fought the Pevensie High king in an attempt to break through the Erinye's hold of him, but to no avail. He had lowered his sword and Peter had stabbed him. He clearly remembered the sudden pain in his shoulder and how the world had turned dark just seconds after. After that, he remembered nothing until this moment.

He focused on his surroundings again, desperate to figure out if they could tell him if he was dead or alive. He exhaled in relief upon finally recognizing the insides of his own private chambers. The king's vast bedroom was lit up by a few burning candles upon the nightstand by his wide bed and he watched the long shadows play far up in the ceiling, beyond the purple, majestic canopy curtain.

"Oh, you're awake," a relieved voice breathed by his side and Caspian turned towards the source of the voice. It was his dear friend Cornelius. Judging by his tired eyes and askew glasses, the half-dwarf had been sitting idle watch by the king's bedside for many long hours.

"Of course I'm awake, friend," the Telmarine man breathed and was surprised to hear his own voice so weak as a direct contrast to the certainty of his words. The old man raised a glass of water from the nightstand and helped the young king drink without a word. Caspian nodded in thanks and settled back against the cushions as Cornelius sat the glass back upon the table. The king cleared his throat and tried again, this time with more power, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It seemed touch and go there for a minute," the Lord Chancellor explained and something weary flashed across his elderly eyes.

"Tell me what transpired, old friend," the king implored of his trusted ally. "And tell me what became of you, Queen Susan, King Edmund and Queen Lucy."

"I'll tell you all I know," Cornelius agreed with a short nod and leaned closer to the awaiting king. "But it's quite the story, are you sure you have the strength for it at this hour?"

"Talk," Caspian encouraged with a nod.

"As I'm sure you guessed, Queen Susan and I faced one of the _Erinyes_. Or rather, the Gentle Queen faced it on her own. I cannot tell you what it did to her, but I believe it spoke to her mind of some great pain. She killed it without hesitation, though... And from what I hear, Queen Lucy killed the second one," the old man explained and leaned back once more in his seat. His eyes wandered into the recent memories, as he continued, "After her great ordeal, Queen Susan and I hurried back to you and High King Peter just in time. You had lowered your sword as we drew close and the High King stabbed you, before kicking you to the ground... I must admit, my heart stopped beating when I saw you lay motionless on the forest floor. I was incapable to act. Thank Aslan instead for the Gentle Queen's strength."

"... _Susan_?" the king's voice betrayed his curiosity even as he tried to conceal it.

"She saved your life, your majesty," Cornelius explained with a proud, affectionate grin. "It was rather astonishing… The Queen threw herself before the sword without hesitation. She could have been killed by the hands of her own brother. I watched her as she moved; there was no thought of the repercussions in her wide, fearful eyes. There wasn't even a decision made, she just… _threw herself_ before the sword to save you. A remarkable young woman, I say."

"Yes, _remarkable_," Caspian agreed distantly as he pondered these news with an impassive face even while his mind turned like a raging storm. "You said I owe my life to her?"

The old half-dwarf nodded. "High King Peter stopped his assault, yes, which is thankful or you would both be dead! The man swung his sword as if to kill you, but couldn't when he saw his sister protect you. It seemed just the shock he needed to return to reason and kill the final _Erinye_. From there, we quickly transported you back to Cair Paravel. Lucy's cordial was quickly put to use, and you assigned bed rest."

"How many days was I out?" Caspian questioned as soon as his friend finished his tale.

"Oh, it's the only been two days," the elder man turned his head towards the window and the pale light that was searching its way between thick curtains. "Well, technically, it's the third day I suppose, since dawn is approaching."

"_Three_ days?" the young man frowned as he wearily ran a hand across his short beard.

"Yes. The cordial did it's work splendidly and your wounds seem to have healed. Though, the queens ordered a strong sedative for you to recover more swiftly and get some much needed rest after troublesome days. You need not worry, while you recover Lord Trumpkin has assumed command aided by the Kings and Queens of Old," the Lord Chancellor hesitated a beat, "Though... High King Peter was greatly worried for your injuries and, I believe, much afraid of his own actions – No one has scarcely seen him these past days since our return to Cair Paravel."

The brown-haired king nodded in understanding. "Could you pass on my gratitude to the queens, old friend? And send for Peter, too, please. We need to have a word."

* * *

Peter hesitated outside the grand, wide door to the Caspian's chamber. The dark wood seemed to contain all of his fears on the other side and he was unsure whether or not he was prepared for this moment.

What he had done had been terrible and evil, and had almost resulted in the loss of his dearest friend. Peter had come so close to stepping over a line with no return. Even though he had barely glimpsed the other side, he had been terrified of himself. The events that had transpired had been his own doings and no one else's. It scared him to no end, but still he was an honorable man and would not shy away from facing his inner demons. He owed it, if not to himself, then to Caspian X to make amends.

With a deep breath, he reached for the handle and pushed open the door. The large bedroom was decorated in rich colors of royal purple and gold, colors that seemed to fit the young king and his regency.

The left wall of the room was almost entirely covered by large windows that let in the hopeful light of the day outside. On the right of the door, stood a massive closet of darkest wood and by its side a small table and chair of the same wooden material. Further down the room stood a Telmarine divan and another table, this one with several comfortable looking seats around it and a chess board upon it. A life-sized painting of Caspian X hung above the divan.

"It's terrible, I agree," the familiar accented voice floated over to the Pevensie boy from the large four poster bed that stood at the centre of the wall opposite the door. The king looked tired but healthy as he rested beneath the covers, a touch of boredom already evident in his brown eyes. He waved his hand in indication for the other man to enter. "It wasn't my choice to have it painted or put up there. Though I suppose it's better in here than to flaunt it around the palace."

"No, no, it's good," the Pevensie jerked his thumb absently over his shoulder towards the art piece as he stepped towards the bed. "A bit small, perhaps. I would have gone bigger. Covered the whole wall." The two men exchanged a warm smile at Peter's feeble attempt of a joke. The smile on the younger man's face soon died away rapidly. "...How are you doing?"

"It wasn't your fault, Peter," Caspian said sternly and waved his friend closer still. "I wanted you to know that."

The other man sighed as he slowly made his way to the foot-end of the bed, though still keeping his distance. He hesitated. "…How… How can you say that after what I did?"

The Telmarine man shook his head sternly and hurriedly scooted up to recline against the pillows, now in a sitting position in which he could better see his friend. He waited until Peter met his eyes, before he countered, "You were under the influence of very powerful magic. It wasn't your fault. Remember when Jadis attempted to regain her life and tricked us both during your last visit to Narnia? There was nothing either of us could do then, she had us under her spell and we would have surrendered to her will if it had not been for Edmund's actions."

"This was different!" the Pevensie argued.

"_How_?" the other king inquired to know.

Peter huffed and shrugged as he struggled for the right words to express his plight. Finding no good answer, he sighed in defeat and as his shoulders slumped, he admitted, "... _The Erinyes_ didn't affect the others as they affected me."

"Is that what you think?" Caspian mused with a sigh. His dark eyes held his friend's firmly as he explained what he had seen with his own eyes, "Queen Susan was beginning to be affected much like you. She told me... of a dark vision before we found you on the exercise fields. Even there she broke down because of something I could not see. In the forest, the _Erinyes_ separated us by influencing your sisters. I talked with Cornelius and Trumpkin and we have concluded that the_ Erinyes_ began to attack your mind, Peter, and did not do anything to your siblings until they had you under their spell."

"Perhaps you're right..." the young man sank onto the covers of the bed and leaned against the bedpost by the foot-end. "Still... Neither Susan nor Lucy will share what the _Erinyes_ told them, even though they managed to kill one each. Edmund seemed pretty unscathed, thank Aslan. He's already had enough from Jadis, as it is. Still… I don't understand it. Why did they choose _me_ first?"

It was Caspian's turn to hesitate as he tilted his head sideways slightly and scratched his beard in contemplation. "The _Erinyes_ only went after you and your siblings, Peter. That in itself, I believe, can point to only one thing."

The other man quickly caught on to his friend's train of thought, "Someone sent them against us. But for what purpose? Could this have to do with _the_ _Mist _and the very reason as to why we have returned?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry," the Telmarine king said. "As for why they chose you primarily… Now, this is merely a guess but based on Cornelius' words and what I've read myself, the _Erinyes_ attack one's doubts. Maybe they chose you first because your doubts were the easiest to target. Or, perhaps, the opposite. You needed the most work, and thus was attacked first."

Peter let the words sink in for a minute. Finally he nodded, "... Either way, I owe you an explanation for what transpired."

"Very well. If you feel so inclined," Caspian patiently waved his hand for his friend to continue.

The Pevensie exhaled slowly before he began to explain the events that he had gone over and over in his mind. "The_ Erinyes_ attacked my pride as king, I suppose one could call it... Last time I was here, I handed over the torch of Narnia to your awaiting hands with the full awareness that it would be my last visit here. Now that I'm inexplicably back, I can't help but miss the throne. I was High King for so long that now, even though I know Narnia is more than safe in your hands, it is not a pleasant thought to know I am… reduced to excess baggage. I find myself without a purpose or path to walk. I pray you forgive me for the pain I have caused you in all this."

"Friend… I know you aren't power hungry, and that it was merely a part of the beasts' mind tricks. I also understand your feelings. Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia. Nothing will ever alter this," the Telmarine spoke in acceptance of the explanation given. "As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to forgive between us."

The Pevensie nodded and then spoke with firm words, "I'll never challenge you for the throne, Caspian. You have my word upon it. It belongs to you, and none of us former regents."

"Thank you, Peter. I shall hope no more _Erinyes_ appear then…" the dark-haired man joked and watched as a sparkle of his normal self returned to Peter's bright eyes. Caspian, too, smiled as he continued, "... Still, I would not have you without a purpose. I have extended an invitation to all four of you to join my private council before, and I repeat it now. Edmund has joined the council more than once and we are most grateful for his contributions... Rule with me, at least to some extent. You may not yet hold the formal power of High King, but you are still a King. Your insight and understanding of Narnia is of great importance for everyone's future. Though you cannot have my throne – which I not intend to give you anyway – could you at least consider acting as a most esteemed adviser to the throne?"

The other man rose from the bed and bowed his head in gratitude. "It would be my honor, your majesty. Perhaps some time on the council will help me regain my footing and find my path again. I'm also grateful for your forgiveness so soon."

"My forgiveness was never hard to get," the Telmarine pointed out. "It's forgiving yourself that will be the tough journey, I presume."

"I suppose you're right... It's strange though, isn't it, with everything that's transpired lately?" Peter met his friend's eyes with a weary expression as he lowered his voice and sat back down. "_The Erinyes, the Mist_… Too big occurrences to be only coincidences, don't you agree? I've long since stopped believing in coincidences, anyway. I fear the reason for our return is clouded in shadow, yet…"

"... Y_et?_" the dark-haired king's own voice was intrigued and low, too, adapting to the new topic with ease for the question had long been on his mind also. "You are thinking your return was not to aid Narnia then? I, too, have noticed that everything started happening _after_ you returned… Do you believe it possible that some other force than Aslan sent you back here?"

"You read my mind, Caspian," Peter held his friend's gaze, and both man read the other's worries plainly. There were no secrets between them, and had not been since their friendship first had been forged. There was but utter trust, even despite the recent events that had led them to this moment. "For now, though, let's keep that concern between us, I don't want to alarm my siblings."

"Do not worry," the elder man assured at length. "Whatever is after you and your siblings, we will stop this – as you said yourself upon your return – _together_. You have my word as High King that I shall find out the truth and find an end to it."

Peter smiled warmly at his friend but hesitated slightly. He could not help but ask the burning question a final time, "So no hard feelings about the… eh…?"

"Queen Lucy's cordial has healed it all, it doesn't hurt one bit," the king spoke and moved his arm as if to prove his statement. "You must stop blaming yourself for the actions those beasts are responsible for. Remember, it could have been the other way around, with me stabbing you in the shoulder."

The Pevensie boy snorted as he rose from the bed and turned to the exit. "That's assuming you would get the upper hand of me…"

* * *

As his shoes tapped across the stone floors, the Telmarine king walked steadfastly towards his study. His first mission out of bed rest was to relieve Trumpkin of the command and his second one of a more personal nature. As he rounded a corner he nodded his head briefly as a few servants further ahead bowed deep to him. He'd grown accustomed to the treatment that came with the crown, but some days he longed for more informal days. Today was one of those days.

Shortly, his long strides brought him to the decorated wooden door and from inside the king heard two voices speak. He stepped inside and was not surprised to see Trumpkin behind the large desk with Queen Susan seated in a chair opposite the dwarf. To understand that the Gentle Queen had lent her "DLF" some aid in ruling Narnia was no surprise to her kind, passionate nature.

"Your highness," the dwarf lord greeted as he saw his king in the open doorway. The young queen swiftly swirled around in her seat and Caspian could not ignore the notion that her forest green dress matched her bright eyes like the sun in the skies. As soon as her eyes caught his, however, the brunette lowered her gaze to the floor and kept it there. Trumpkin eyed the scene before him before he cleared his throat and jumped down from the tall seat. "I assume you have come to reclaim your rightful command. You will be pleased to hear that everyone has saved their troubles for your return to health."

The dwarf bowed his head to the queen and then took his leave without further ado. Trumpkin closed the door as he did, and the Telmarine king could not help but wonder what the dwarf had already guessed about the situation ahead.

"It pleases me..." the brunette began slowly and Caspian turned back to watch her. "...to see you restored to health, my lord."

"And it pleases me to see you in my study, for I had much desired to speak with you," the king said and felt his throat go drier with each step he took towards her. He knew his heart was beating out of control, for he was well aware just what he desired to discuss with the young woman that had so long ago captivated him. "I wanted to thank you, Gentle Queen, for all that you have done to me."

"It was nothing. I would have done the same for anyone," the queen breathed and her voice faded into the corners of the room even as the King closed in on her seat. Susan, too, felt her heart thunder within her chest, but for other reasons than the Telmarine man's. She had planned on staying detached and distant from the man in order to spare them both future heart grief. The future was, after all, not hers to share with him. The images shown to her by the _Erinye_ were still fresh, like a gaping wound to her soul. The beast had whispered '_This life was never yours, for you don't belong in this_ _world_' and the words now echoed in the queen's mind.

To remain in his presence was physically painful and in one fluid motion she rose from her seat. As the handsome man stood before her he was close enough for his shadow to fall over her and Susan could not escape from either his gaze or his study as easily as she had hoped.

"There was something else I desired," the dark-haired king continued timidly as he read the woman's insecurities. He knew he was treading closer to dangerous grounds, but after nearly losing his life, he figured the chance could outweigh the risks that awaited ahead. The man opened his mouth to continue when Susan's slender, pale hand suddenly landed on his chest and effectively stopped him.

"Please, do not do this."

Caspian frowned. "You know not what I will say."

"I do," the woman disagreed with a somber look upon her fair features as her hand fell away from his chest to hang numbly by her side. It was the first time since returning that she openly acknowledged their existing feelings, and the moment was everything she had wished it not to be. Indeed, she knew, instead of what she wished, she had to lie in order to make amends for any danger she was to his happy future. "As you should know my reply. I have told you once, it would not work between us."

"But we have more time together now," the king argued meekly. "And my fee-"

"_Please_!" Susan interrupted and her voice rose an octave as her gaze met his. Panic roared within her and she did not know how to react to the dazed pain she saw reflected in his gaze. She had already set herself a course, however. It had been evident to her from the start, but never more clear since realizing the man's heart would belong to another woman one day. It was the way things had to be. "It cannot be. My feelings _are _changed. Forgive me if my actions have made you doubt my intentions... but I would prefer to be left alone."

The Telmarine shook his head in disbelief as he leaned closer. The fear in the woman's eyes almost outshone the moon in its strength and Caspian could not read the truth behind her words. He had always been aware of her doubts, but this seemed on a whole other level. "You speak in a different tone than a few days ago... What did the _Erinye_ tell you?"

Surprised to hear the king hit the right note so swiftly, Susan gently pushed past the king before he could see the tears which threatened to well up in her eyes. "It matters not. It made no difference to my heart. I have not returned to Narnia to be your wife, we both know this. Somethings are not meant to be. Instead, I will gladly help you find your rightful queen."

"Very well..." Caspian's frail voice was uttered low, but still seemed to fill the room louder than any other words he could have uttered. The king nodded to himself even as his heart shattered inside his chest. He raised his eyes and watched the woman as she lingered by the door. Her back was noticeably stiff even covered by her long locks and she did not turn to face him. "If this is what you truly wish, I will take a step back and honor your decision."

Without one word, the young queen opened the door to the study and walked outside as two worlds crumbled and fell apart in different directions.

* * *

_To be continued!_


	13. The Wounded Queen

**13. ****The Wounded Queen**

Peter gazed about him at the faces of the king's advisers of political, military and social importance gathered around the long table. After his latest interaction with them in his delirium, the eldest Pevensie had since made amends and truly taken the time to learn about the people the new ruler of Narnia put his faith in. The Telmarine king had found himself a great blend of trusted people for his council; old and young, lords and soldiers, and not to mention a mouse (who was currently not attending) and a dwarf.

The meeting this morning was the first council since the young king had been stabbed, and so it had (as expected) begun with the highest advisers praising the lord's good health. The many long well-wishes reminded the Pevensie man of the old days, and as he glanced up at Caspian in the throne beside him, he could see the respectful mask begin to falter with fatigue. Peter glanced to the right side of the Telmarine, to Susan and Edmund who occupied those seats. Plainly, the younger Pevensie boy, too, was starting to get bored and managed to keep a straight face simply for his sister's sake. They both remembered the beratings they had sometimes received in the old days if they ever were less than respectful to any that stepped before the court.

Lucy was the only Pevensie not present today. Even as a young queen in their glory days had she found excuses to avoid tedious council meetings. In the past she had often spent the hours with the citizens instead, but upon this bright morning she had chosen to ride out with Reepicheep. The reason for her sudden decision had not been divulged, but with her protector and promise to not ride astray, Peter had reluctantly allowed her to slip from his watchful sight.

The eldest Pevensie focused his mind on the council as Lord Greagoir rose from his seat somewhat ceremoniously and gazed at the faces around him until his gaze found the king at the head of the table.

The old man inclined his head in a small bow before he stood tall and his bright eyes bore into the king. With a well-placed tongue, the man spoke, "Your highness, In honor of your return to full health once more, this council would wish to throw a banquet."

Peter noticed hos Caspian inconspicuously shifted in his seat and could guess exactly what was going through his friend's mind at the moment.

"A banquet...?" the king's thick accent slowly carried over the silence of the morning, like a man apprehensively approaching a danger on the road ahead. "Because I'm... not dead?"

Greagoir smiled warmly and opened his mouth to speak when lord Roshan on his right side interrupted. The Telmarine lord seemed more focused as he spoke in his darker voice, "Your close call with death, my king, reminded us all that you have yet to secure the throne, something that is much needed for the future of Narnia."

Caspian leaned forward in his seat and opened his mouth to retort when the elder, grey-haired man raised his hand in a calming notion. "Please," Greagoir pleaded and the king nodded his head for the man to continue. "Lord Roshan speaks a harsh reality, but reality nonetheless. For this reason, I wish to invite young ladies of Narnia and its allies, from whose graces you may choose a suitable queen."

"We mean you no disrespect," the Telmarine lord beside the elder man clarified with a softer tone than before, though his eyes remained steadfast on his king, "but if there is a threat hanging around your neck, and those of your friends, we consider it important to not delay your given word to this council. We need to repress the people's fear and make them see peace and prosperity on the near horizon."

The Telmarine king ran a hand across his jawline as he sighed deeply. It was plain to all in the room that he was considering the offer, but the struggle within was far from settled.

The Pevensie beauty on the king's right spoke up then. "My king, if I may," Susan's big, blue eyes awaited the king's encouraging nod before she continued, "The intention of granting your people hope is a good notion. No one should be discouraged about recent events when we know so little about its cause. You cannot risk that the people will fear a return of darker days alike the rule they had to endure under your uncle Miraz. They trust you, but they almost saw you die a few days ago... Surely, a celebration is in order for everyone involved."

There was silence in the grand hall for a minute in which everyone gazed at the king at the head of the table. At length, the handsome man nodded in defeat. "Very well. Then we shall have a banquet. Lord Greagoir, I leave the preparations entirely up to you, and I encourage you to enlist the help of Queen Susan. Also... you may invite whomever you desire. Shall we say that the celebrations will be seven days from today, so that people from afar will have time to join us here in Cair Paravel?"

The old lord bowed deep in gratitude. "Thank you, your highness."

"Then, if there are no other matters that cannot wait," Caspian looked around the table patiently, but none spoke up, "I call this council to an end."

The sounds of chairs scraping across the stone floor filled the room as the men around the table slowly got up and chatted among themselves merrily. At the head of the table, the Telmarine king turned to his right, but as he did, the brunette by his side practically jumped out of her seat and hurried down the length of the table to join Cornelius and Trumpkin in a discussion.

Peter's gaze followed her escape and he could not help but glance back at the bearded king and the man's disheartened face, before he, too, left the council hall.

* * *

Meanwhile, the youngest queen had spent the morning with her trusted mouse. The two had ridden half the morning around the city below the palace and met the citizens with great joy. Lucy had been happy to reacquaint with her old home once more, but this tour was not the true reason for her morning plan. After greeting the people, the girl and Reepicheep had spent the other half of the morning in the woods outside Cair Paravel.

Out there in the woods, she had searched for someone close to her heart that was still missing. _Aslan_. She had expected his arrival for many days now, even since before the events with the _Erinyes, _but afterwards she had been positive the mighty lion would appear before them and explain their plight. But none had come. Days and days had passed without anyone spotting their great leader.

After hours and hours of searching for him this day, not even Lucy had seen a glimpse of her old friend. The thought saddened her somewhat, but she had long since learned to be patient with Aslan. Whatever reason he had for not stepping forward yet would be revealed in time, she was sure. Still, a part of her wanted the answers handed to her now, so that she could let the questions of her return to Narnia rest in the back of her mind. Perhaps, which was more important, the answers to their mystery could help ease Susan's mind and let the elder girl find some peace. Lucy had grown quite tired of her sister's insistent talk of England.

After giving up their search, the young girl had steered her mare back towards the gate of the city and up the hill towards the palace. Atop the horse's head, the proud mouse stood watch and bowed his head to different children as the queen rode past them. The gates to the palace area opened before the queen and the young queen swiftly rode into the pale court yard. She dismounted and patted her mare's coffee colored neck as she steered them over to a bale of hay by the stables.

"How was your ride?"

The young brunette turned her head to the voice and saw Edmund descend the stone staircase leading from the main building. He had a warm smile on his face as he walked over to his younger sister. Dressed in deep green and grey, he looked as much at home as she had ever seen him in Narnia, and she was glad for it. It seemed the only one as happy to be back as Lucy was the brother that soon reached her side.

"I'd say it went rather well," Lucy replied and Reepicheep bowed to them before he scurried off to acquire information about the morning's council meeting. "How was your morning, Ed?"

The young man chuckled as he leaned against a pillar to the side of the court yard. "The council was... interesting. There's going to be a banquet in a week. To honor that Caspian didn't die. And... you'll love this part, the advisers have taken it as a sign that the young king must marry. Preferably yesterday, from the sound of it. I don't think they're going to get off his back about it now. They've even gotten Susan on their side, which seems rather odd..."

"Perhaps she's simply happy there's going to be a banquet?" the young girl proposed with a shrug. "She did always enjoy those social gatherings more than you and I. She was always much better at the social aspects of court than we were."

The young man nodded. His expression suddenly changed as he glanced about to make sure no one was eavesdropping. He pushed away from the pillar and came closer to his younger sister as he lowered his voice and asked, "So... did you see him?"

Lucy frowned. "Who?"

"Did you see _him_?" Edmund clarified in a slower voice as his intelligent eyes spoke volumes without words being said aloud.

Lucy smiled up at her dear brother. The hope that shone bright in his eyes reminded her of exactly why she had gone out to search for Aslan. She hadn't told any of her siblings the truth behind her morning trip, but wasn't surprised that her brother had known anyway. The two of them had formed a close relation and trust since that first time he doubted her about Aslan. She was grateful to have at least one sibling that trusted her as Edmund did, no matter what.

"No. I didn't, Ed."

The man's pale eyes lost some of its hopeful spark as he nodded. "What do you suppose that means?"

"I don't know," the young woman admitted with a shrug and brushed some dust from her riding dress. "He'll come when the time's right. As he always does. Now... it's almost lunch, isn't it? Why don't we find Susan and hear what plans she already has for the banquet?"

* * *

Seated before her dressing table mirror, Susan gazed into the reflected windows to her own soul and found only an emptiness looking back at her through pale orbs.

"I saw your exit today, sis... You practically _ran_ from him. Is it so hard being back around him?"

With her thoughts interrupted, the young woman reached for a comb and started to run through her long, dark curls as she glanced back at her elder brother in the open doorway. She knew it was useless and that he had seen her emptiness, but a part of still wished to play the charade.

"It's polite to knock, you know," was the only reply she offered with a frown upon her fair features.

With a sigh, Peter walked into his sister's bedroom and closer to her position by the grand bed. As he sank onto the covers not far from her, he said, "I hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing what he's made you become. I know you're hurting-"

Susan's frown intensified as she turned to interrupt her brother. "It's not Caspian's fault. It's my own."

"Oh?" the man inquired. "How so?"

The young woman faltered. Peter didn't know the truth, no one did. And the fewer who did know, the better, Susan figured. It would be much easier getting a clean exit that way, and perhaps it would spare her heart some of the anguish it was bound to suffer. "It doesn't matter, Peter. You known none of it does. We have to remember that we'll soon be back home and everything will be normal. None of this - _Narnia_ - will matter any more."

The young man bit his lip and shook his head as he listened to her rant. At length, he breathed with an anguished sigh, "... You sound so distant, Su. Like you've left this place already. Though, we are _i__n Narnia,_ not in England yet."

"The sooner we go back the better," Susan spat and turned from her brother. Words were beginning to fail her and stuck in her throat as they pained her to speak. "I don't think I can pretend to be happy here any longer."

"You weren't pretending very hard, were you?" the eldest Pevensie questioned. He rose from the bed and placed one of his hands on his sister's slender shoulder and gave it a brotherly squeeze. "I know it's been harder on you than anyone else. Just... It would be nice to see my sister, and not this brooding shell you've become. I didn't think he would have this affect on you, I really didn't. But seeing you now... I don't know."

Without another word, Peter squeezed her shoulder once more and exited her bedroom. Within seconds, Susan felt the impact of his words hit her and she tried to control her breathing in hopes of holding the tears at bay, but it was to no avail. Silently, they fell from her eyes, like soldiers in a battle or pieces of a heart drifting on an ocean. She closed her eyes tight and tried to focus her thoughts on anything and everything that wasn't associated with her heart breaking inside her chest.

The words Caspian had spoken to her the day before still echoed like a haunting plea inside her mind and made it impossible to think about anything else. _'Very well. If this is what you truly wish, I will take a step back and honor your decision.'_

"Susan...? What's wrong?" the unmistakable voice of her younger sister carried over the despair and the elder girl immediately flew from her seat and turned to see both her younger siblings had managed to startle her. Edmund and Lucy wore matching expressions of worry on their faces as they lingered in the doorway.

The eldest sister hurriedly swiped at the tears that stained her cheeks and tried to cover the truth with a white lie. "It's these silly costumes, the corsets. They're much tighter around the chest than I remember from the old days."

"Mm, yes," her younger brother hummed impassively as his face scrunched up. "Thank you for that information. Fascinating. Really, it is."

The eldest beauty managed a tight smile as she glared at her brother. "Don't patronize me, Edmund."

"That's kind of difficult, isn't it? Being your _younger_ brother and everything?" he retorted.

"Oh, you'd always find a way."

"That is very true about our brother," Lucy agreed, but her wary expression didn't falter as she walked over to stand right in front of her sister with a brave stance. Clearly the young woman wasn't intending to back down from this. "But let's not get sidetracked. Please tell us what's the problem."

"And, please," their brother added from the sidelines as he, too, stepped up to join the intervention for his eldest sister. "Don't pretend you're hurting because of a tight corset when all three of us know that's a lie. We can guess, however, the name of your pain. I won't say it aloud, but it rhymes with 'paspian'."

Lucy rolled her eyes at her brother's words, but then held her sister's gaze as she declared, "We're both old enough to understand now, you know."

The dark-haired man shrugged. "Wish I wasn't. But I am."

As his younger sister punched him on the arm, Susan released an amused breath and took her sister's hand in her own. "You've grown up so fast, Lucy..."

"You think?" the young girl asked as happiness touched the edge of her bright voice. Susan smiled and nodded as she gently patted her sister's soft cheek before she reached for her brother's hand also. Lucy asked, "Now... Why don't you tell us what's _really_ the matter with you?"

* * *

Goraidh stormed through the open hallway in a fury. A servant jumped out of his way, spilling the contents on the tray she carried as she did. Goraidh took no notice, instead he hurried on towards the door from which the servant girl had but recently exited through.

Without a knock, the lord threw the oak door open and entered the chamber. The room was lit up by the sharp sunlight outside and the rich colors of fabrics upon the bed, wall and table – all a deep red – appeared beautiful yet sickeningly like blood. Upon the chair beside the table sat the Sorcerer, who looked anything but surprised upon the man's hasty entrance. He shuffled a deck of cards and did little to acknowledge the sudden presence in his private chamber.

"_Days_," Goraidh began with uncontrolled anger making his voice quiver with every word. "Days without news from you! Your precious minions failed their task; and this I had to hear from my own spies. _You_ should have told me of _your failure_!"

The Sorcerer looked down at the cards in his hands and twirled one of them between his fingers. _Tarot cards_, Goraidh noticed. _To foresee the future. Bah! If the future could have been foreseen, why had the Sorcerer failed?_

"Patience is not your strongest attribute," the Sorcerer spoke slowly without looking up and his hoarse, dark voice was a mixture of amusement and boredom. The mysterious man focused all his attention on placing a card upon the red fabric. The other man looked down at the image. It depicted a heart aflame in torment.

"Tell me something I don't know," the lord huffed and walked over to the window. It was tall and narrow and from it the man could see the open field far below, scorching under the sun in the skies. "... What, exactly, do you propose we do now that you've failed?"

The Sorcerer sighed and leaned back in his seat, the wood creaked as he did. For the first time during this meeting, the man turned his gaze slowly to watch the impatient leader by the window. Where his voice had held emotion, his pale eyes shone with impassive detachment as he met the fiery gaze of his host.

"I told you," he began and stretched out an arm towards Goraidh. The latter watched as the Sorcerer, with a quick flick of the wrist, conjured a new tarot card into his palm and held it out for the other man. "I have a few cards left up my sleeve."

Goraidh's gaze flickered from the magical entity and back to the card. In swift strides he walked over and snatched it into his own calloused hand. Goraidh inspected the card and frowned before turning his gaze back to the Sorcerer and awaited an explanation.

With a slight tip of the head, the man did not disappoint. "We'll attempt a stealthy attack on our targets in Cair Paravel. In seven days, a feast will be held to celebrate king Caspian X's return to health. We shall send a special guest to do our bidding."

The leader scratched his head as he waved his hand in approval of the plan as his gaze remained fixed on the tarot card in his hand. "Who?"

"Your eldest son."

The implication had little effect on Goraidh. He knew what the Sorcerer was suggesting and the prize it could entail. Still, it was for a worthy cause and his son would understand that the potential benefits greatly outweighed the risks of being thrown into the lions' den. With a nod, the man accepted. "Yes, yes. What is the plan?"

The Sorcerer pointedly spoke, "If we attempt blunt force, we will be discovered and fail. If we do an open statement, they will hinder us. It must be a personal attack, alike _the Erinyes'_ attempt to drive the Pevensies to insanity."

"You talk of feasts and personal attacks. You have yet not learned to speak plainly. Tell me what I wish to know," the leader demanded as he leaned heavily against the table top and placed the tarot card upon the red table cloth and pushed it toward the magician.

"I have given you the answer already," was the cryptic reply as the Sorcerer nodded down at the card and pushed it back to the king. Depicted upon the card was a sinister design with dark crows along the edges, so real it seemed they could take off and fly out of the picture without any effort. In the middle of these crows was a woman with blood flowing from a wound upon her chest and with a dagger in her left hand. At the bottom of the card lay a discarded crown, speckled with blood from the woman's open wound.

"And what is it?"

A grim, malice smirk tugged at the corner of the Sorcerer's lips and at last, his eyes shone with passion. "This," he said in a smooth voice that rolled off his tongue like a serpent's hiss, "is the Wounded Queen."

* * *

_To be continued._


	14. The Feast, Part 1

**14. The Feast, Part I **

"May I join you?"

Susan raised her gaze from the book she'd been consumed in and took pause as she saw the Telmarine king stand a few paces away from her seat.

The young woman had been certain she'd found herself a little hideaway in one of the corners of the royal library behind book shelves and words of wonder, but clearly that was not the case. The young man, however, seemed quite stoic as he kept his distance and held his hands behind his back while maintaining a regal posture, as if he hadn't intended on finding her there either. He seemed quite uncomfortable with his find, but noble and kind enough to not simply walk away without first breaking word. After the past few days, Susan wondered at his kindness towards her.

Her heart could not endure to cause him more pain, and meekly she nodded, "... Yes. Yes, of course, your highness."

With a timid smile that seemed to echo with gratitude of not being turned away, the man sat down opposite the queen in the bay window among the pillows she'd gathered there. As soon as he was comfortable, Caspian leaned back against the wall and gazed outside at the beach far, far below. When he remained silent, Susan turned back to her book but found that the written words suddenly blended into a messy blur of ink with neither purpose nor meaning.

The young woman traced a hand through her long braid as she inconspicuously let her glance wander back up to the handsome man in front of her. He was rubbing his left shoulder through the brown jerkin he wore, though his mind seemed miles away as he did.

"Does it still hurt?"

Caspian swiftly turned his attention back to her with a confused, "Hmm?" His own gaze traveled down to his shoulder and he lowered his hand at once. Susan couldn't quite read his mind as he shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I didn't realize I was doing it."

"Do you want me to send for Lucy's cordial?" the brunette's voice filled with worry of the intensest kind as she allowed herself to see how the man struggled with some mind matter or another. The brown-haired man raised his chin then and as his eyes met hers, Susan wanted nothing more than to lean closer and offer him some measure of peace. She wanted to reassure him of everything; his safety, the well-being of his people and, perhaps most of all, her feelings for him. But she uttered not a syllable.

The bearded king cleared his throat and lowered his gaze with an almost apologetic shrug. The pain she'd caused him with her rejection was plainly evident in the way he carried himself, though he spoke not a word about it. He didn't seem as broken as he had been that day, but there was evidently something in him that desperately wanted to know more about what had happened.

"I don't know why I did it. I'm completely healed, but I suppose the memory of that day is still so fresh. It's barely been a week. Perhaps touching the spot where I was injured reminds me of my good fortune. You need not worry about me, my queen."

"I fear some things are easier said than done," Susan breathed before she could stop herself. She saw the man's eyes widen in recognition of her sentence and at once, she re-focused on the book in her hand. Flickering through the pages, she hoped he would not see the true meaning to her words. For a few seconds there was silence around them except for the pages softly caressing each other with every move of her hand.

"How are the preparations for the banquet faring?" the young man asked at length. His voice seemed strained like a newly strung violin, as if the silence had threatened to catch him in a dark spot.

"Well, I think," Susan nodded, a tad too vigorously, as her gaze once more rose to meet his dark, passionate orbs. "Lord Greagoir and I have sorted all the main issues, with our DLF's helping hand. Though the feast isn't until the day after tomorrow, many of the guests have already started to arrive, as you must be aware... From Archenland, Calormen, the forests... Even from beyond the Eastern Sea. Lord Greagoir and I am to meet the royal chef to prepare the last details for the menu later tonight. All according to plan."

When the young woman's long monologue eventually died out, Caspian nodded distantly. The brunette was sure he hadn't heard a word she'd been saying as she noticed the slight wrinkle between his strong eyebrows, and she ducked to cover a smile. As she looked down, she noticed how close their feet were on the pillows between them. Almost touching over the abyss, though too far away to actually remove the distance between them. Somehow, the notion saddened her.

"Lord Greagoir tells me... that the council has three preferred choices among the gracious ladies who will attend the feast. All three of them would apparently make excellent queens," the king sighed and rested his head against the wall behind him. "I sometimes believe the old lord is more excited about this than I am."

"Are you...? Excited, I mean?" Susan managed meekly. As the man opened his mouth to reply, the woman interrupted before he could utter a word. "Forgive me, that was out of line. I know that of the council's... _options_ two have arrived already, and I have met them both. They're beautiful, my lord. They'd make any man happy with their warmth and kindness. Peter and Edmund have shown interest, too."

"Then let them marry the ladies!" the king breathed only loud enough for the young woman to overhear. He closed his eyes tight and sighed. "... Now _I _was out of line, as you put it. To give Narnia a worthy queen to my reign, it is an honor... It is nothing short of what Narnia deserves."

"And _you_, Caspian," the young queen assured. "Never forget that. You know I desire nothing more than for you to find a wife and be happy for the rest of your life."

"Yes, I know," the man nodded and his eyes held hers firmly as the passion slowly weakened from strongest flame to palest ember. "Your gentle heart overwhelms this simple man... If I am to be married, however, it is best I get to know these ladies, is it not? I suppose I have stalled long enough. Thank you for your support, your highness. I must take my leave, for there are guests to greet and befriend."

Without further ado, the king flew up from his seated position with the agility of a house cat and bowed his head before the queen. As soon as he was done, he turned on his heel and walked away from the Pevensie girl's hideout. Susan followed his tall, lean figure until it was out of sight and released a shaky breath at last.

Susan raised her book once more, but she found that her mind would not allow her to return to the world described on the pages of the book.

* * *

The day of the feast arrived swiftly and with it, the cheer and merriment of Cair Paravel rose to new heights. The arrival of all the interesting people intrigued the citizens and all over town and in the palace new acquaintances were made between friends of new. For the citizens, who would not attend the feast itself, barrels of wine and fine food were handed out, a gesture that most honored guests saw as a warm offering and many spoke of the kindness of King Caspian X.

As the sun set beyond the mountain top in the distance, the palace was lit up with warm lights and the feast began. People from far and wide, forest creatures and other creatures, stood in awe of the beautifully decorated palace. Susan and Greagoir, who had planned it all, had chosen to decorate the palace in purest gold and white as well as beautiful flowers that spread a sweet, lovely scent in the evening air.

Upon one of the walls in the grand hall itself hung a large golden standard with Aslan's embroidered head upon it. There could be no mistake that this was a feast for the mighty lion, as much as it was for the Telmarine king.

By the king's request, the fauns had agreed to play their enchanting music and dance to it, professing their great honor of doing so. The tunes were merry and mysterious, like the deep woods from whence they had been invented. Every tune had its own story and if you listened closely you could hear the stories of trees, of the dancing stream or even of the mysterious fauns themselves carried across the tunes.

Susan and Peter stood to the side as they beheld the spectacle dance of the fauns with great admiration. The young woman wore a red and gold dress, its design reminded her of the gown she'd worn to the king's coronation during their last visit. She wore her hair out for the evening, but with a daffodil behind one ear which the fauns had offered to her earlier during the evening. Her elder brother wore a brown, silk shirt with wide sleeves and golden embroideries as well as tight, black pants.

Peter let his gaze travel around the large hall and on the other end; he saw Caspian and a fair young woman talking and laughing together. He glanced down at his fair sister and decided not to share what he'd seen with her. This was the first time he recognized his beloved sister since their return to Narnia, and he hoped it had something to do with his confrontation only a week ago. He much preferred her like this, without a brooding desire to go back to England.

The eldest Pevensie gazed up as one of the fauns gracefully danced over to the two siblings, singing a beautiful chorus from their Golden age. Though it seemed long ago, the young man remembered the lyrics as if he'd heard them yesterday. The faun was clearly attempting to get both of them to join in the chorus. Glancing sideways, however, Peter realized his sister did not recognize the lyrics as he did. The faun, too, seemed to realize this, and a hint of surprise and shame spread in his eyes, and was in turn reflected in Susan's.

In that second, Edmund stepped out from the crowd behind them, singing along with the chorus loudly (and quite out of tune). His enthusiasm rekindled the joy in the faun's eyes and with grace it returned to its kin to complete the dance. The younger Pevensie, dressed in different nuances of grey and green, stepped up to his sister's side and Peter noticed how the young man squeezed his sister's hand in support.

* * *

Caspian smiled down at the ethereally fair woman beside him. She had been introduced to him as Lilliandil, Ramandu's daughter, by Lord Greagoir, who'd seemed most keen to introduce her in the first place. The Telmarine could not blame his lord. Lilliandil was fair beyond compare and, indeed, stood not a human either. She was a daughter to a star and lived on Ramandu's Island far away on the Eastern Ocean. When the king had learned this, he had briefly wondered if he would have met her sooner, had he not abandoned his quest for the seven lords.

The woman was dressed in white and seemed almost to shine like a beacon in the soft evening glow with her long, blonde locks hanging loose around her slender, tall form. Though for all her otherworldly beauty, her eyes were still sharp and clever.

Caspian could not deny that he was intrigued by this woman and found her company pleasant. He mentally reminded himself to thank Lord Greagoir's research for appropriate 'options'. So far, all three of the chosen women had proven fair and intelligent, strong yet kind. Obviously, all three of them could one day rule any land with a firm and noble heart. Out of the three, Lilliandil was proving to be a favorite for the king, though he could not help but wonder if it truly was enough to change his heart's desire from its true goal.

"May I ask..." Ramandu's daughter began with a timid smile as she gazed about her in the grand hall to all the people around them. "... what is life like here in your land?"

"I assure you, it is a good life," the Telmarine man grinned as a servant offered them wine. The man took the glasses in is tanned hands and offered one to the woman, but she declined the offer.

"Forgive me, I should not," she explained. Caspian bowed his head and handed the glass back to the servant who soon disappeared in the crowd. As the brown-haired king turned his attention back to the lady, she said, "And the life of your guests?"

The man frowned. "Guests?"

"I speak of the Kings and Queens of Old," Lilliandil clarified in her soft voice. "We have heard word even to my father's island of their return. Is it not hard for them to be here, knowing that they will be called back to their home one day? My father says they cannot stay this time either."

Caspian hesitated as the words settled in his mind and this time he could not shake the meaning of it, despite his best attempts. "Yes... I suppose it is hard."

* * *

Lucy felt her heart race inside her chest as she descended the giant staircase leading towards the grand feast. She was '_fashionably late'_, as her mother would have called it. It was deliberate, too, mind you. Ever since the_ Erinyes_, Lucy had done some soul searching in private. The creature in the woods had accused the young girl of being the weakest and smallest sibling as well as the ugliest sister. She had since that encounter realized the only way for a change to be made, was if she took matters into her own hands. She had to grow up if she was to be taken seriously, and not be considered the youngest and silliest sister anymore.

"I am not sure," Reepicheep called from her side where the mouse scurried along to keep pace with the young queen, "if this is such a wise idea, my queen."

"Oh, don't worry, Reep," Lucy laughed.

"May I remind you, Queen Lucy, that it is you who should not have to worry. This evening I shall keep a special watch on you to ensure your safety. With all these people, it is possible the threat is greater still."

The queen rolled her eyes. "All invited are friends of Narnia. I repeat myself, Reepicheep, _do not worry_! This will be a night to remember!"

With those words she reached the entrance to the grand hall, inhaled deeply and stepped through the large, open door post. Immediately, she noticed a shift in the air around her. People who noticed her, stopped speaking for a second, gobsmacked at her appeareance. Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself. By her feet, she heard Reepicheep sigh and mutter something nasty.

Lucy was dressed in a mature dress, well beyond her years according to the Narnian style. It was a bright pink dress with a low, scooping neckline that showed some amount of bossom. The dress itself clung close to her small frame and was all in all a far cry from her usual tomboyish style. Her hair was curled and done up in a fancy style, though a few curls hung down to frame her face. For once, too, Lucy wore make up and felt just as pretty as her sister.

A rough hand suddenly gripped her elbow and the girl spun around to face Peter. The look in her elder brother's eyes was anything but pleased.

"_What are you wearing_?" he hissed low so that no one else could hear them.

"This? Oh, it's just an old rag I found in the closet…" Lucy smiled.

"Is that… lipstick? Do they even have that in Narnia?" Peter asked with a confounded frown and then sniffed the air. "_And_ _perfume_?"

"So?"

"_So?" _the elder brother mimicked and his tone was a mix of complete surprise and appall. Before he could continue, Edmund appeared beside them.

"I see you finally joined the feast, Lu. And what an entrance…" the dark-haired boy looked her up and down, he, too, not with the most approving of eyes. "What are you wearing, sis? Don't you think that's… too bold for you?"

"No, I don't," Lucy hissed and looked down at Reepicheep who stood silently by her feet. The look in his eyes spoke of his own thoughts on the matter and how they matched her brothers. Appalled to have no support, the girl breathed, "I think I look pretty in it."

"You look under-dressed! It is not appropriate!" Peter hissed with fatherly disdain as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Go up and change! Put on something more appropriate for your age!"

"This is appropriate!" the young brunette felt anger rise in her chest, swiftly replacing her previous excitement. She had come down to enjoy this feast, emerging as a young woman instead of a silly, little girl, but her brothers still wouldn't allow her that joy. "I'm not _little Lucy_ anymore! When will you realize that?!"

"Yes, you are! You are _very little_ and _very_ _young_!" her eldest sibling contended. "At least you're not old enough to wear that, you're embarrassing yourself. I said, go change!"

"You're not mum and dad, Peter!" the girl's voice hitched. "You don't get to tell me what to do! Remember, I was once a Queen of Narnia, an adult just as you two and Susan! _I'm not little Lucy_!"

Lucy turned on her heels and ran out of the room without further ado. Reepicheep bowed to the two kings before hurrying after the young queen. Her tear -filled exit had many heads turning and mumbling echoed across the hall. In her wake, Peter and Edmund stood in silence side by side.

The dark-haired boy slowly turned to his elder sibling, the latter who seemed still to be fuming. Peter, upon feeling Edmund's gaze on him, glared down at himr.

"I don't care what she says, Ed, she is my younger sister. I'll always be protective of her."

"It was just a dress, Peter," the younger said with a shrug. "I admit, not much of a dress, but still… You didn't have to be so rough on her. It's Lucy, you know… and whether you or I or Susan want it… She's growing up..." the boy paused as he gazed into his wine cup. "Look, I never told you this before… But when I found Lucy after she followed the_ Erinye _in the woods, she… It seemed the creature had fed on her fear of being the youngest and smallest. I'm just saying it might be a delicate matter for her, and we could be more sensitive."

The elder boy pondered his brother's long speech and finally let out a deep sigh. "Since when are you so bright, Edmund?"

The boy's pale eyes twinkled. "I've always been bright, Peter. I've just played dumb to match your level."

"Oh, har har! I'll get you for that, you know."

"Threatening my intellect with physical injury? Yeah, that's mature..."

"I'm serious, Edmund."

"I'm shaking in my boots!"

"Boys, boys, boys…" The two of them turned around as Susan joined them. She shook her head as if to admonish their childish argument. "Wherever did you scare Lucy off to, Peter?"

"I didn't… She…" the man sighed. "I should go apologize."

"Give her some time," the brunette smiled gently and placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Not tonight. Tomorrow."

"Hey, there's Caspian, he's- _Woah_!" Edmund breathed distracted by something behind his sister as his mind wandered across the crowd. "Peter! Have you seen the woman he's talking to?"

Peter sensed Susan's hand stiffen where it rested against his shoulder and he placed his own hand above hers and squeezed it brotherly. Edmund noticed the gesture and his face fell.

"I'm sorry, Su... Is she... you know?"

The young woman nodded. "... She is."

"Well, now that I look at her, she's not actually very much to look at," the youngest brother retracted with a shrug as his eyes glanced down at his sister apologetically. "Quite ugly, really. ... I think I ought to save Caspian from that troll."

With those words, the dark-haired boy swiftly made his exit and the eldest Pevensie watched as he made his way over to the king and the beautiful woman who hadn't left Caspian's side for quite some time.

"... He's still talking to her, then?" Susan whispered.

Peter's eyes snapped back to his sister's impassive face. "So you have noticed them?"

The woman smiled as she turned around to watch the couple at the other end of the hall. "Lord Greagoir introduced earlier. I think he wanted my approval before he introduced her to Caspian. She's a star's daughter, you know. Quite wonderful."

"Hey, Su...?" her brother wet his lips as he searched for the right words. "When Ed asked about her... what did you mean by 'she is'?"

"She's his future wife. I know it. I recognized her face... I'm happy for him. I think we can both move on now. Look to the future."

"Are you trying to convince me of that... or yourself?" Peter warily eyed his sister as he saw her brooding return to her heart and the joy diminish with every second. He opened his mouth to continue, but was abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a stranger who walked up and bowed before them.

The stranger was a tall, young man of Peter's age with tanned skin, long hair and black eyes that shone with mystery and compassion. The man was rather handsome with a long, narrow nose and long eyelashes. His posture and behavior spoke of royalty and pride. The mysterious man was dressed in flowing robes the color of darkest red wine. Susan caught the briefest flash of a thin, golden band around his arm as he moved.

The stranger stood tall and his full attention remained on the Gentle Queen, who watched him with mild intrigue in return.

"Queen Susan?" the man asked and his wide, brown eyes searched hers with a kind warmth in their own. When she nodded, he reached for her hand and raised it to his full lips. "May I introduce myself to such a fair, gentle lady, though a late hour it is?"

"Oh," she said in her surprise and glanced briefly at Peter who looked even more curious than she felt. As the man's lips graced the back of her hand, she nodded. "Yes, of course."

"I am prince Anash, son of Goraidh, the ruler of Calormen. I have come to seek your hand in marriage."

* * *

_To be continued._


	15. The Feast, Part 2

**15. The Feast, Part II**

Reepicheep's small feet made no sound as he ran swiftly across the rich, soft carpets in the long hallway. Far off he could hear the feast from the downstairs floor, but he barely registered the merry sounds of singing and laughter. In the mouse's small head there was only room for one concern at the moment, and that was of the youngest Pevensie queen.

He rounded a corner and steered towards Lucy's bed chambers. As he reached the grande oak door, Reepicheep hesitated. He was a brave mouse, a soldier in heart, but _this_ – _offer a loved one comfort_ – he was unaccustomed to. Still, he had pledged himself to her protection and though she was not in mortal danger now, she could still need his support and friendship.

Slowly, the mouse stood on his hind legs and knocked on the door. There was no reply, but Reepicheep could hear someone's muffled sobs on the other side. Instead of attempting another knock, he pushed the thick door open and slowly entered.

"My lady?" he called gently and blinked his eyes to adjust them to the sudden darkness of Lucy's room. She had apparantely not bothered to light any candles in her despair.

In the pale light of the moon from the window, Reepicheep could see her tossed form across the bed on the other end of the room. The girl's sobs were muffled by a pillow and she still had not registered her soldier's entrance.

"My lady, are you alright?" Reep asked once more as he walked towards the bed and jumped up to the top of her night stand. From this angle, he could see the state of mind Lucy was in more clearly. She lay in her undergown, the fancy dress thrown aside in a pile on the floor, seemingly disposed in anger. Her face was pressed deep into the pillow and Reepicheep felt for the young woman.

"King Peter meant you no harm, my Queen," the mouse said and hopped onto her bed to sit on the untouched pillow by her head. Her sobs had lessened but she still did not move from her position. "He is your elder brother and he loves you dearly, he means no harm. He might have overreacted, though he means only to protect and keep you safe."

"No!" Lucy practically shouted into her pillow. "He means to treat me like a little girl! I'm not a little girl!"

Reepicheep pondered her words for a second. "Still, my Queen, you are the youngest and smallest of the four of you. It is only natural-"

At this, the brunette finally lifted her head from the pillow and swiftly sat up. Rage danced in her eyes as she beheld the mouse, "_Natural?! _I am not a little girl, Reep! I wish at least one of you could see this. I am tired of being called little and young. It implies I'm defenseless and weak. I'm neither little nor weak! I am growing up, just like the others! I'm fourteen! If I was back in England, I would have been treated with far more respect and dignity than I am in Narnia. I wish Peter would stop behaving like our parents, I hate him for it!"

"Now, now," the soldier mouse was still a bit startled by her sudden tantrum, but tried to calm her with his reassuring words. As his brain cells tried to wrap itself around her words, he distantly played with the handle of his sword. "You don't hate any of your siblings. Peter, Susan and Edmund are all only looking out for you, they want you to be safe. As do I."

"You?" Lucy's eyes flashed with something the mouse was very unaccustomed to from the young queen, for this time, her anger was directed at the mouse. "You're on _their_ side, are you? I thought you were my friend, but you're just like them, aren't you? You swore your allegiance to myself and Susan, and why? To protect us! To keep us safe! You find me little and defenseless, too. You too need to understand I am not as small as you make me out to be! I do not need protection from a mouse! I can handle myself, so please – leave me alone! Go eat some cheese and leave me alone!"

"M-my lady, you… You are upset-"

"I said leave!" the girl threw herself down onto her pillow again and the bed rocked with her sobs once more. Reepicheep felt saddened by this and his shoulders slumped for a second. He glanced at the young queen one last time as he sighed.

"As my Queen commands…" and with those words he jumped down and swiftly left the room as he had entered it; with a heartbroken, crying Lucy inside.

* * *

"Honestly, Edmund," Peter chastised as he watched his younger brother empty another goblet of wine. It was one of countless ones this evening, and Peter had begun to tire of it. "Are you going to drink as much as you did aboard _the Dawn Treader_? Or have you forgotten how swell that made you feel the day after?"

The younger man rolled his eyes at Peter's smug face and lowered his goblet to the table upon finding it empty. "_No_, _father_. And that was more seasickness I think… You know, it's not really fair. I remember myself as an adult king back in the golden days, being able to hold my alcohol quite well."

At this, the elder brother laughed loudly and roughly patted his brother on the back. "That's not the memory I have of your drinking… As I recall, Lucy could hold her alcohol better than you."

The younger Pevensie snorted and shrugged off his brother's hand. "Well, speaking of dear sisters. One is probably upstairs bawling her eyes out because of your words… Where did the other go? Where did she and that _suave_ lord disappear to?"

Peter's jolly mood was with those simple words deflated like a balloon. "I don't know," he huffed. "And I don't necessarily like it."

"Stop acting like such a big brother, _big brother_," Edmund teased and glanced about the grande hall inconspicuously in search of their sister and the lord from Calormen. "Susan always did have a rather exciting love life, especially in the golden days. She had plenty of suitors. She knows how to deal with them, it's like a habit to her. Besides, if we decide we don't care for the bloke, we should tell Caspian about the poor bugger and let him save the day instead."

This time, Peter huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Edmund from the corner of his eyes. To the younger man, this posture seemed quite ridiculous and he tried to hide his amused grin.

"Frankly," the elder Pevensie admitted. "I'm not sure if I'd prefer that."

"I thought you and Caspian were best blokes?" Edmund asked with evident confusion.

"We are," the young man agreed heartily ."Still doesn't mean I want him to… to _woo_ my sister, does it?"

"You're afraid that instead of _woo_, he'll inflict _woe_?" Edmund smirked at his own pun on words. Peter was not as amused.

"I've thought about it, Ed. I _really_ have," he began with a passionate plea. "We all want Susan happy, but ever since we've returned to Narnia… Well, I've only seen her unhappy since we came back. You know? Especially when she's around him, and especially perhaps tonight when he is- yes, inflicting woe on Susan by wooing another lady…"

The dark-haired brother frowned and tried to think back on their days in Narnia. He knew Peter was right in a way, there was no point denying their sister's rather dreary outlook on their return. Especially in the beginning when she had barely stopped for air as she had declared they would all soon return back to England.

Still, gradually while they had been back, he had seen a change in Susan. She'd talked less and less of England as she had spent more and more time with the Telmarine king. From the way the king, too, gazed at the young woman when he thought no one was watching... Well, Edmund had a pretty good idea that it was love all around.

The young man turned back to his elder brother. "There's something you don't know about our sister. It's about what the _Erinyes_ showed her."

"Her, too? You carry all of our sisters' secrets nowadays?" the elder boy questioned and something akin to hurt echoed in his voice.

"Well, you were quite driven to insanity and injured your best mate, can you blame them for not wanting to add more pressure to your guilty conscience?" the younger brother countered and grabbed a new wine cup from a servant that passed them by. "Listen... Lucy and I found Susan sobbing in her chamber about a week ago. She explained... everything. The _Erinye_ showed her a vision of Caspian's future wife. From what I gather, it's Ramandu's daughter. Susan is positive her own presence here is endangering Caspian's happiness. She loves him, Peter, but she doesn't believe they have a future together."

"Well, it doesn't appear he loves her back if he's courting another woman," the elder pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

"She didn't give him a choice..." Edmund sighed as he took a sip from his cup.

"She's got a point though, doesn't she? We still haven't figured out why we returned, and we don't know for how long we'll be back. That's why we need to figure this all out, and _that_ needs to be our priority. Love should take a back seat for now."

"You sound very grumpy about this, brother," the dark-haired boy smirked and his brother shoved his shoulder. "Oh, I see! You're jealous of Susan! Susan and her romantic escapades!"

"Don't make this a joke when you know I'm right. That's ridiculous, even coming from you."

A heavily accented voice interrupted the brother's talk. "What is so ridicculous?"

Peter and Edmund both swirled around and came face to face with Caspian himself. The tall, lean king wore pale, gilded clothes and his crown atop his dark locks which seemed to make his shine like a true king tonight, but still he seemed almost naked without the presence of a certain star.

"Eh, I am," the younger Pevensie replied quickly as he recovered first. "But what's new, eh? How's the feast, Caspian? Enjoying the company much?"

The Telmarine raised his eyebrows and his dark eyes beheld Edmund in amusement. "Have you been drinking from the spiced wine again?"

"I have, but you only ask that to avoid my question," the boy pointed out with a wink. By his side, Peter rolled his eyes and took the wine cup from his brother's hands.

"I assume you're referring to Ramandu's daughter?"

"He is," Peter interjected in an impassive tone as he ignored his brother's sulking face. "Where is the lady? She'd become so attached to your arm we almost expected she was stuck to it."

In reply to the question, the king merely smiled tightly while the fauns music in the background filled out the silence. After a beat, he asked, "Have either of you seen your sister? She promised me one dance tonight."

"'Seen'…" Edmund slurred, "is a relative term."

Before Caspian's frown could grow any further, Peter spoke up, "We haven't seen Susan for awhile. A Lord from Calormen asked for a private conversation with her."

"I was not told any lord from Calormen would arrive this evening. What did he want?" The warmth of the king's dark eyes was almost completely gone as he pressed on for more details.

"Why, to wed Susan, of course!" Edmund gasped in a sort of mock shock of the same news. The words seemed to have thrown the Telmarine king, for all he did was stand in silence while he beheld the younger Pevensie. Edmund unsteadily raised an arm to point somewhere behind him. "If you want to stop him I think I saw the good lord leading my sister dearest into the gardens awhile ago."

"Thank you," Caspian said and took a step to walk past the Pevensie brothers. He stopped and turned back. "_You_"- The king said and pointed a warning finger in the younger Pevensie's direction - "stay away from the wine."

"_Spoilsport."_

* * *

Susan stood outside in the chill air of the night beneath the bright stars above. A bird of the twilight sang from somewhere on her right and crickets played in the grass further away. The night in the gardens of Cair Paravel was quite idyllic and made her feel at home once more, a feeling she never felt in England.

So caught in her own thoughts, she almost forgot she was not alone out there. It wasn't until the Lord from Calormen stepped up beside to behold the beauty of the heavens above that she turned and smiled up at him.

"The night sky is more beautiful here," lord Anash admitted as he held her gaze firmly. "It could never be as beautiful as this in Calormen. Or perhaps it is not the sky, but my company, that makes this evening so beautiful."

"I remember the nights in Calormen were quite beautiful, too, in their own way," the brunette said and smiled tightly at the memories of a time she didn't much care to remember.

"Ah, yes," the lord grimaced. "I forget you've been there before a very long time ago… I hope you won't let the sins of my forefathers stand in my way tonight."

"You are in good fortune, Lord Anash, I am a forgiving person," the young woman smiled and stepped towards the fountain at the middle of the majestic, green garden. She gazed down into it in silence for a minute before turning back to the handsome lord. "Still, this was rather a surprise..."

"Was it really?" the man said in his baritone voice and walked closer. Susan took a moment to admire his features. He was almost as tall as Caspian, though more muscular and with longer hair. His chin was clean shaven and his dark eyes alike two pools of water. There was something mysterious about him that awoke Susan's curiosity. She had no intention of flirting with him, yet he seemed kind enough and offered her an escape from the festivities inside.

"You are a beautiful woman," the man spoke as he stepped closer. "In fact, you are as beautiful as the legends from the golden days suggest you are. You are also a gentle woman, as known from your regal title. You have been back in Narnia for quite some time now and word travels fast. You must have known it was a matter of time before the first suitor - of many I presume - were to appear."

The young woman couldn't quite hide the blush on her cheeks, but was grateful it was night so she had at least the cover of darkness on her side. Still, she backed up as he took one step towards her.

"I am thankful for your kind words, my lord Anash. But I am not seeking to be your wife. I am frankly not expecting to be around for long."

The handsome man stopped mid-stride and seemed to stiffen at her mere words, a reaction Susan found most odd. The air around them seemed to thicken with tension and even the bird and crickets waited on baited breath. The change was undeniable to the queen.

"Why?" Anash asked slowly.

"What do you mean why?" the Pevensie asked with just as much suspicion as her company.

"_Why do you say you will not be around for long?_" the man clarified through clenched teeth.

"For it is the truth," the young woman said rather crisply. She didn't much like to be remembered of her impending return to England, nor did she approve of his strange behavior. "I have come to believe, and quite assuredly, too, that my days in Narnia are numbered. And not just mine, but my siblings, too."

"How do you know?" Anash asked and his voice was suddenly both forceful and worried. "_How can you know_?"

Susan's frown returned full force at his sudden change once more. She had long since learned not to trust the Calormene men and this reaction only triggered old memories. Slowly, she took another step backwards to gauge his reaction.

"I believe we ought to head back inside," she said in a low voice. For a short time neither said anything, only stood opposite each other by the fountain among the low sounds of the night. Receiving no reply except for a struggle in the man's eyes, Susan stepped forward to pass the man. As she did, the man leaped like a mountain lion towards her and intercepted her path. The queen jumped back in shock.

"What are you doing?" she gasped. "Take me back inside. At once!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not now," Anash said and something unreadable passed in his eyes and was evident from the glow of the nearby lanterns. "This didn't go as I planned, not as I was told. No one told me you had already been warned. Is... is this a trap?"

Susan's heart started to beat like bolts of thunder in her chest with each new word that came from the Calormene's mouth. She felt confusion and dread at his delusional questions and concerns. When he finally silenced, she swallowed heavily to relieve her dry throat and tried to think.

"Let me go back inside," she commanded once more and attempted to make her voice sound both stronger and calmer than she felt inside. "_Now_!"

Anash didn't reply at all this time. Something had altered in him definitely now. Susan could see a decision had been made in his eyes, though she could still not comprehend any of this. All became clear as he swiftly withdrew something from his pocket and raised his arm above his head. The woman saw something rest in his hand that glimmered beneath the pale moonlight and quickly realized what it was. _A dagger_.

Without warning, Anash swung at her. The queen jumped to the side but he kept coming at her with the weapon drawn. Panic blocked out most of her senses and all she could think about was how she wished she had her bow and arrow in hand. There was no hidden weapon in her fine dress, nor was she strong enough to combat this larger man.

The man's step was much wider than hers. too, and as she tried to escape by circling the fountain, he was not far behind. Susan's heart beat wildly in her chest and fear rose in her body as she tried to escape. She threw one glance behind her to see how close he was but in the process, she stumbled on the trim of her dress and fell to the ground with a surprised shout.

She landed hard on her back and looked up at her assailant, who was closing in on her with hardened eyes. The lord knelt down beside her and raised the dagger into the air a final time, before he struck his target like a serpent and fulfilled the task he had been sent there to do.

He pulled the dagger out of the body and gazed down at the blade in his hand with a kind of wonder. Right in that moment, an anguished roar echoed across the gardens and the Calormene lord had but one brief glimpse of his attacker as something hard slammed into him and sent him flying to the ground.

Caspian's breaths came short and fast as he sat up on his knees on the grass, having thrown himself on Susan's assailant. In a mad fury he yanked on the lord's clothes only to realize that the man had taken a terrible fall and hit the back of his head against a rock. There was no more life in the Calormene's eyes.

The Telmarine king fell backwards and panic rose even further in his chest upon realizing what he had done to the young man. He re-focused his mind as he shifted his attention to the other body lying in shadows beside the fountain. Hurriedly, Caspian crawled over to the queen's immobile body and his trembling fingers reached out towards her hand where it rested on the cold grass.

"…Susan?" he whispered in a trembling voice that seemed to linger in the night. The man leaned closer and let a hand touch her pale cheek when she didn't reply as his gaze traveled down to the injury on her chest. Even as he tried to coax her back to life, she did not stir.

Another voice resonated through the darkened gardens then. "Let me help her, Caspian."

* * *

_To be continued._


	16. The Heart's Choice

**16. The Heart's Choice**

The world around Susan swirled round and round like a ferris wheel under water. The sensation created a vacuum around her heart and her chest constricted by each breath of air she attempted to take. She could only compare it to the sensation you have when you remain beneath the surface so long that it feels as if your chest is going to implode.

For a second there was nothing else on Susan's mind but the hysteria which slowly crept upon her for each breath she could not take. Somewhere far away she thought she heard echoes of a man's voice, but it was so weak she couldn't be entirely certain of anything.

Then, without warning, everything stopped abruptly. The world stopped turning, the pressure against her chest seized and Susan felt she could break through the surface once more, no longer fearing her soul's implosion.

In relief she drew in a couple of deep breaths and opened her eyes slowly, as if she was a newborn doing both for the first. She had to blink a couple of times before the haze around her cleared.

What she had expected to see, from her last memories, was the gardens at Cair Paravel, the dark night sky full of sparkling stars over her head and a Calormene lord leaning over her with a glinting dagger. What she awoke to was something completely different. Up above her head was a pale, wooden roof. She frowned to herself and quickly turned her head around to understand her peculiar whereabouts. Where in Narnia could this be?

She was lying atop of a hard bed in a small bedroom with pale, naked walls. Outside the window she distantly heard the sound of cars passing by on the road while honking fervently to one another. The photograph of herself and her siblings that stood neatly on the nightstand beside the bed was another piece of the puzzle. Susan didn't need to think about it twice. This wasn't Narnia.

The young woman once more felt her heart constrict in pain, as if someone was clenching it tight in their fist wishing to crush it entirely. Her breaths came shorter as Susan curled up on her side atop of the covers of the bed. Her whole body rocked as she sobbed uncontrollably.

* * *

Caspian stepped back in complete silence and watched the majestic lion approach the queen's body. Aslan had appeared out of thin air and claimed he could help her. The king trusted the lion to no end and so now gave him room to aid, though did not move too far away. When Aslan stepped towards Susan and held his great head above her serene face, the Telmarine had been unsure what to expect as he silently tried to control his shaking breaths.

From what he remembered from his books and what the Pevensie siblings had told him of the lion's powers, he believed Aslan was giving the queen the breath of life. Or at the very least, attempted to. For whatever reason, Susan did not stir at all beneath the lion's tender care.

After several more minutes in silence, Caspian knew the lion's work was to no avail. He felt an indescribable feeling fill his chest and he fell to his knees in the grass with no more power to hold him up. For all the muscles in his arms and legs, he did not have the strength for this. His entire being trembled as pain seized in his heart and his lungs heaved in shock. Words got caught in his throat, as he tried to push through the fear, "…Is she dead?"

The young king closed his eyes tight as he waited for Aslan's reply. Everything around him was quiet, as if tree and bird alike, too, wished to know the answer. When no response came, the Telmarine ran a hand across his dark hair and sank closer to the ground. In a whisper, he begged, "Please, don't let her die, Aslan. If Susan died, I don't... I couldn't..."

"I know," was the lion's simply, calm reply. Caspian opened his eyes then and gazed up at the lion, who in turn had turned from Susan to look at the king with an unreadable look on his face.

"_Please_…" the Telmarine whispered again. He knew his eyes betrayed all the emotions he was feeling – fear, pain, love – but he couldn't help it. Perhaps, he hoped, Aslan could bring the Gentle Queen back if he knew the true secrets of Caspian's heart.

"Susan will live, my king," the lion said at length and his deep voice conveyed assurance and belief. "But if she will come back to us is not something I can answer you at this moment in time. That is a decision she must make herself."

"I don't understand…" Caspian breathed and felt the pain in his chest subside as he allowed the lion's presence and words to comfort him. He crawled over to the fair queen and swept a lock of her hair away from her forehead as he held her close. She was still deathly pale but her skin was warmer, like thaw after a cold winter. She was very much alive.

"Thank you, Aslan," the king whispered as a smile crept across his face and a tear rolled down the tip of his nose.

"Do not thank me yet, Caspian X," the majestic leader said in return as he stood beside the couple. "You and I have much to discuss, most of it concerns the Queen and her siblings. It can wait, however, until we've taken the queen inside and made sure of her safety and comfort."

The young king merely nodded before he gathered the queen into his strong arms and rose from the ground. She felt heavy in his arms, but Caspian still felt his arms grow stronger by the mere fact she was alive and still with him. As long as she was alive, he could carry her to the end of the world if he had to in order to keep her safe.

* * *

Peter and Edmund took two steps at a time as they hurried up the grand staircase.

They didn't pause for anyone they met in the hallway, nor did they notice any of the people they ran past in their wild fear. There was but one thing on their minds. They hurried down the grand corridors until they came to a halt before the door to Susan's chamber. They wasted no time as Edmund swung the door open and ran in just ahead of his elder brother. Both of them halted abruptly upon the sight that met them, and stood there in silence as their lungs heaved from the quick run here.

The room was lit up by candles and upon the large bed by the center of one of the walls by the balcony, lay their sister's motionless body. Her complexion was paler than they'd ever seen her. Beside her on the bed sat Lucy, who's eyes were red shot from crying. On the other side of Susan, upon a chair, sat Caspian holding the queen's hand, but otherwise he portrayed no emotion on his focused face. Beside the Telmarine king stood the one both Pevensie brothers were relieved to lay eyes upon.

"_Aslan_!" Peter breathed as his breaths calmed down and he took a step forward. "What's going on here? We heard Susan had been injured in the gardens. How did you manage to sneak her into the palace past all the guests at the feast?"

"Never mind that," his younger brother protested and hurried over to stand by Lucy, distantly placing a hand of comfort on her shoulder. She gripped his hand in turn and squeezed it tight as silent tears fled her eyes. "How is our sister? What happened?"

"I don't know," Caspian said in a monotonous reply, but his gaze didn't leave Susan's form even as he continued, "I don't know what happened out in the gardens. All I saw was that foul beast you call a Calormene lord attack her. He stabbed her with a dagger."

"What?" the eldest Pevensie frowned from his position across the room. Shock still had such a might grip on the young man, he could not move further. "I don't understand. He said he wanted her hand in marriage. Where is the good lord, indeed, so that I may wring his neck?"

"I... accidentally killed him, Peter," the Telmarine king spoke in a low voice and betrayed some deep emotion. The other man nodded, as if giving his approval to the king's actions.

"As for your sister," Aslan spoke up in his usual calm, warm voice when the room fell silent, "she will survive this ordeal, be not afraid, young ones. I have healed her."

"Oh, thank God," Edmund exhaled relieved and sank onto the bed by Susan's feet.

"No, thank Aslan," his baby sister corrected silently.

"There is, however, something you all must know," the lion said and waited until all four pairs of eyes looked at him, before he continued, "Queen Susan is in a coma, as you sons of Adam and daughters of Eve would call it."

"Why?" Peter asked as he finally made it across the room and came to a halt by the bedpost. "I thought you healed her?"

"I have, King Peter," the lion agreed. "You must understand, however, that this time there is only so much I can do. This is now a matter of Susan's heart more than it is about her life, though I am afraid the two matters are deeply connected. Her heart has almost been lost to me once in the past, but she found her faith in both me and Narnia then. I am hoping she will return to us again."

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned in a low and frightened voice. "I don't understand at all, Aslan."

"Your sister almost stopped believing in Narnia after your last visit here. Or rather, she almost allowed her own heart to give up on it," the majestic feline explained. "She believes in your England more than she believes in the existence of Narnia. To her, England means safety to her heart, where Narnia does not. I have saved her life, but if Susan's heart can not find a way to return to Narnia on its own free will, I am powerless."

"So… " Caspian said slowly as his mind wrapped around the problem. The words were hard to form as he was well aware the queen believed she would return to their 'England' once more, and, indeed, seemed to use it as fuel to go on. The Telmarine felt his heart constrict at the implications. "… you mean I… we could lose her even though you healed her? If she chooses to let go of Narnia… of us?"

"You are more right than you know, King Caspian."

The bearded king shook his head in disbelief and clutched Susan's hand firmly in his own larger, calloused one, as if this action alone would help her make the _right_ choice. "We can't let her. Is there nothing you can do? Is there no way to affect her mind?"

"I will do all I can, my young king, but I cannot control free will," Aslan replied solemnly. "If she does not wish to return, Queen Susan will be lost to Narnia forever."

* * *

Susan opened her wardrobe and peeked inside the dreadful, old thing. All dresses in it were of typical English fashion and ended just below her knee. There hung no elaborate, beautifully sown Narnian gowns in there. The young woman sighed for what felt like the thousandth time in less than an hour since her return. Carelessly, she picked out a peach-dotted dress from the wardrobe, shut it and quickly got dressed.

So she was back in England once more, in her aunt's old house. Her life was back to normal, just as she had dreaded during her time in Narnia. She had returned back here – _back home_ – without any explanation this time. Susan couldn't fully comprehend it. How had she ended up back in England when she had just been stabbed in cold blood by a Calormene lord in Narnia? She should have simply died, if no one could heal her, not be sent back to this world.

Maybe this had been Aslan's plan all along, the young woman thought to herself as she walked over to the window and looked out at the grounds below. The autumn wind blew through the branches of the apple tree just beneath her window and Susan saw one fruit fall from it's branch towards a quick doom below on the lawn. There it rested upon the ground in agony, having been separated from the other apples, never to return to their presence and lives, with only a slow rotting process to await.

Susan felt cursed. Or at the very least, a fool of fortune. Aslan had waited to send her back home until after she had begun to settle into the familiarity of the situation. Sure, she had denied herself the love she felt for the Telmarine king, but apart from that she had tried to lower her walls in order to help the same man find his way back to the path she had interrupted.

The girl felt so very silly now. She had almost managed to convince herself there for a moment… Susan shook her head. It had been so very, very silly indeed to believe she could have stayed in Narnia for as long as she wanted. That whatever words Aslan had spoken to her and Peter about them never returning to Narnia had truly changed. That they had been given another chance at a future in Narnia.

She frowned to herself. If she was back in England, did that mean Peter was to? Or had she been singled out to return as the forgotten fool? Was fate truly so cruel it would separate her from her siblings without an explanation? Was fate so cruel it would drag her away from Caspian, too, for life without even a chance to say goodbye?

The brunette shook her head. It didn't really matter whatever reason the lion had for sending her back home. She was here, and there was nothing she could do to change it. The pain in her heart would fade in time, just as it always did every time they'd been forced to return in the past. This time, Susan felt in her heart, she would truly get no other chance. She would have to leave all thoughts of Narnia behind for good. The silly world of make belief would have to be pushed out of her head until it hurt no more, until she could convince herself it had only been silly dreams of childhood.

She had been right all along, after all. Her life and future was right here, in England. Everything else had been make believe.

* * *

Back in Narnia, the night passed quickly. The banquet had ended in the wee small hours of the morning, without any of the guests aware of the queen's predicament. Caspian and Peter had decided to keep the information secret for the time being, should the unfortunate news end up in the wrong hands. The evidence of the struggle in the garden had been easily disposed of, though the Telmarine king had been surprised when no dagger or any other weapon had been found. He had been certain he had seen it glint in the moon light by the dead Calormene lord's head and with no one allowed entrance into the gardens afterwards, he found no explanation to explain the absence of weapon. As a result, the king had ordered Reepicheep, Cornelius and Lord Enric to look into the matter.

The dark-haired king sighed and tried to clear his mind from such troubles. He shifted in the chair and focused his gaze instead of the other people in the room. Peter and Edmund rested on a couple of mattresses by the foot end of their sister's bed while he knew Lucy and Aslan stood outside on the balcony as sleep would not find them either.

He turned his attention back to the pale queen in front of him and he squeezed her hand tighter in his own. She looked so peaceful and beautiful, like she was simply sleeping and awaiting the dawn of a new day, but her appearance could not fool Caspian. She was almost lost to him and he could not deny the strain this knowledge put on his meek heart. He had done everything he could and he was helplessly abandoned on the sidelines as they all awaited her choice.

"Any improvement?"

The Telmarine man jumped as Edmund spoke up and sat down on the covers beside his sister. The young king's eyes were filled with agony and Caspian sympathized with the man.

"I don't know..." the bearded king sighed. "I wish I could help her. Tell her she can't... give up on this. But I... I know it sounds awful, but I am afraid she doesn't want to come back to Narnia. I think she wants to return to your home."

"Caspian... _This_ is our home. Susan knows that, too," the young Pevensie clarified in a confident tone as his eyes sought through his friend's gaze with a purpose. "She doesn't want to leave, she's just..." he paused as if unsure he really ought to finish the sentence, "... She's always been the quiet sufferer. She prefers to keep her heart ache private because she wants to protect even her siblings from it. But I think Su's realizing we're all growing up, and she doesn't need to protect us anymore... Nor protect _you_."

The Telmarine frowned. "... What do you mean, Edmund?"

"Su wouldn't want me to tell you, but I don't care," the young man shrugged. "She almost died and I want to see her smile again if she returns to us. I'm not sure what exactly she's told you. But I do know this: she loves you."

Caspian lowered his gaze with a faint smile that soon faded into the night. His eyes danced with tears as he raised his gaze again to look down at the queen beside him. "... I wish it was true, when you returned I even allowed myself to believe in it. But you should know that she's encouraged me to find love elsewhere."

Edmund frowned as he clarified, "Because she's afraid she can't stay here with you. The _Erinyes_ told her she was in the way for your true love. Foolishly enough, she listened to those beasts and she hasn't been able to drop it. She thinks she's protecting your heart, Caspian, if she keeps away. I don't agree."

"She told me those creatures hadn't..." his dark voice trailed off as he shook his head in anger. "But what can I do?"

"I think you know," Edmund looked beyond the king and out the open balcony door to the light of the rising sun. "Listen, I'm not saying it's going to be easy. It's probably going to be ruddy difficult for you both. But if we're here for a purpose still unknown, you should be allowed some measure of peace, if even for a minute."

The Telmarine man looked down at his tanned hand tightly clutching Susan's pale one on the covers. "Let's hope she chooses us, then..."

* * *

Lucy closed her eyes as the first rays rose above the horizon and allowed herself to enjoy the serene moment. She knew this had always been her sister's favorite part of the day and she wanted nothing more than for her sister to awaken and come out to the balcony and see this with her. Beside the young queen, the mighty lion sat quietly on the stone ground and offered whatever comfort he could with his mere presence.

As if sensing her thought process, Aslan turned towards her, "You have a question for me, my young queen."

"... Why did you not come sooner?" she youngest Pevensie asked as she wrapped the blanket closer to her small form and gazed sideways at him. "Did you not know that we needed you, that _I _needed you?"

"I did," Aslan inclined his head. "Though I wished to come, it was not my place to do so before. You must live your own lives, dear one, and deal with your own struggles. I cannot live your lives or for you or answer everything."

"I suppose not…" Lucy muttered and turned her gaze to look out over the balustrade at the sky which started to fill with the most beautiful colors of morning. "I'm glad you're here now, though."

Aslan snuggled his head against the queen's side and purred loudly, "As am I, dear one. As am I."

The young girl smiled and turned to hug the great lion tightly. "Are you sure you can't help my sister?" she whispered in his ear and held on tighter.

"For now, Susan must deal with her own heart by herself, she must get some clarity before she will even reach out to me for help. When she calls for me, however, I shall come to her. I promise I will not give up on your sister unless she gives up on me, Queen Lucy."

Behind them, the girl heard Peter yawn. "…Lucy?"

"I'm here, Peter," she replied and glanced behind her as her elder brother walked onto the balcony to join girl and lion. In silence, the three continued to watch the vast array of color dance across the sky. As they stood side by side, Peter reached a fumbling hand towards his little sister's. She knew it was a wordless apology for his earlier behavior and a wish to put it behind them now that more pressing matters changed the play field. Lucy held no grudge and quickly clutched his bigger, calloused hand in his own as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Aslan, there are many things I don't understand about this," the eldest Pevensie began as he held his sister close. "But for now I only have one question. Why is this different from all the other times we've been injured in Narnia? You healed her. How come it's her heart that decides if she returns and not you this time?"

"The answer to your question is both simple and difficult," Aslan explained cryptically. "I think you would most easily understand if I say this; it was not I who sent you back to Narnia this time."

* * *

Maybe, Susan thought, maybe she could forget Narnia, after all.

The brunette currently sat at the breakfast table with her dreadful cousin Eustace, and the latter was complaining about the crust on his toast. Listening to her annoying cousin, Susan realized that forgetting Narnia could perhaps be easy after all. If the young boy merely spoke of his nonsense long enough, he'd bore her brain into forgetting everything it had ever learned or experienced. At length, the boy shut his mouth and Susan's ears were thankful for the respite.

That was, until he opened his mouth once more and said, "I am sad, you know. I might not look it, cousin, but I am… Just so you know."

The young woman raised her pale eyes and frowned. "Why would you be sad, Eustace?"

The boy looked at her with bewilderment in his eyes, as if she'd said something completely inappropriate. "Why... because of your siblings' death, of course."

Susan dropped her own toast onto her plate and sat dumbstruck for a second as if his words had turned her universe upside down. She searched for words and eventually found her voice, "... I beg your pardon?"

Eustace looked her up and down as if trying to determine her mental state of mind. "Are you mad as a bag of ferrets? Is mother going to have to send you to an asylum? The car crash, remember? Last week. They all died. I wasn't there, of course, but the newspapers described it as rather gruesome..."

The young woman barley heard her cousin's painful words as everything turned into a great haze. She felt as if her heart stopped beating as her throat thickened with sadness. "Tell me you're kidding, Eustance. My siblings are alive. They _must_ be."

The boy frowned at her and scooted his chair back an inch. "I assure you, they are very much dead. We had their funeral last week. Or have you forgotten that, too?"

"I … I can't… I don't remember much of anything, no," Susan whispered and then hastily stood from her chair. She threw her napkin onto the kitchen table and stood in stunned silence for a second before she recalled herself. "Excuse me."

"Please."

Without further ado, the young woman literally ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs and closed herself into her bedroom. None of this made any sense. Narnia. England. Her siblings' death. Susan tried to calm her thoughts that swirled like a whirlwind inside her head, but it was impossible to stop the wreckage.

How could it be true? How could her siblings be dead? Were they not in Narnia, after all? And why, _oh why_, had she not been allowed to remain with them if they were safe in the enchanted world?

The young woman felt hot tears burn her cheeks as she leaned against the wall and sank onto the floor. She hugged her legs as she tried to collect the pieces of her broken mind. She was back in England, then, just as she had always expected would happen. But this time she was completely alone. Her darling siblings were dead - _Peter, Edmund and Lucy_ - and her parents on the other end of the world. This cold reality wasn't shared by anyone and there was only a dark future that lay ahead. A great, vast emptiness she could not comprehend. Oh, she couldn't make sense of anything and desperately she begged inside her heart for some guidance.

"I heard your call," a warm, soft voice spoke like a summer breeze and Susan's eyes shot wide open. Before her in the small room stood none other than the mighty lion himself, the only one who truly could help her in all of this.

"Oh, Aslan," She breathed and threw her arms around the lion's wide neck and buried her face into his mane as she cried. "What is happening?"

"I don't have much time, child," the lion said and the brunette leaned back against the wall as she tried to calm herself. "You must decide if you will return to Narnia or remain here."

"My decision?" Susan sniffed and wiped her tears from her cheek. "Isn't it your decision?"

"You must try and understand, dear one," the feline explained patiently as he stood close to her. "We are not in England. This is merely an image in your head of your world. What you, yourself, believe would meet you if you returned. None of it is true."

"... Why?" she asked and was surprised to hear her voice so weak and powerless.

Aslan's golden eyes watched her intently. "You have attempted to deny me in the past, child. By referring to England as the only reality of consequence. You have not believed in Narnia, Susan."

"That's not true!" the Pevensie girl gasped and shook her head. "I admit... I've had my doubts, but only because of what you told me and Peter. You said we couldn't return, _never_, but we did. I was scared, I doubted… but I have always believed in Narnia. In the life I once had there. But I am still afraid, Aslan... There is no future in Narnia for me, is there?"

"That is up to you now, child."

Susan shook her head. "It's not. Once I could have had a life in Narnia. But that was a long time ago. If I were to return now, it would be to my own broken heart. I don't know if I can do it... I don't know if I can live like that any more. Despite all my efforts… I still care for him. I can't return to Narnia and have my footing snatched from under me again, Aslan. If Caspian didn't… I couldn't…"

The lion smiled kindly. "I know. I cannot give you the answers regarding the future you so desperately seek, child. All I can say is that if you remain here you truly will lose him forever. Now, child, it is time you decide. Does your heart belong in England or in Narnia?"

* * *

_To be continued._


	17. The awakening

**17. The Awakening**

Susan's eyelids fluttered and a distant display of light and warmth shone through the curtains of her eyelashes. She blinked a few times and tried to make sense of her whereabouts. For a second, the young queen felt lost and completely unfamiliar with her surroundings. Was this Narnia or England? Had she forsaken everything by doubting or had Aslan truly given her another chance despite it all?

Her heart constricted tight inside her chest and she closed her eyes in fear. If this wasn't Narnia, Susan was sure she would rather die than face the truth. She had told the lion she couldn't live in any world without her siblings or Caspian, even if the cost would still be high in the end. She belonged with them and not in England, if the latter meant solitude and desolation. Anyway, Narnia was the home of her heart. It was a part of her just as much as she was a part of it. It had taken her longer than she cared to admit, but she had finally stopped denying the truth to herself.

"Susan?" a low, dark voice spoke from somewhere on her right and interrupted her thoughts. Though it was just a word, the girl heard much dread and agony in the pained voice and it seemed to echo through her blood and veins.

Slowly, she turned her head and opened her eyes. Her gaze met a pair of chocolate colored eyes that glistened with unshed tears from the glow of a nearby candle. The dark pools were filled with passionate gratitude as they beheld the woman and she instinctively reached out for him.

"Caspian..." she croaked and was surprised to hear her own voice so frail and broken.

His hand enveloped her smaller one and held it reassuringly as Susan tried to make sense of the situation. The Telmarine king sat on a velvety chair beside her large bed and behind her she could see the pale light of morning seep through the open balcony door. Her bedroom was silent, yet still full of sounds of life as she heard the man draw a sharp intake of breath. The Pevensie girl turned her attention back to him and took a moment to appreciate his presence.

He was still the same and certainly not an imaginary creature as he sat close beside her with his handsome build, short beard upon a proud chin and long, dark hair flowing around his shoulders. Susan exhaled as relief washed against her like waves against the cliffs.

The man spoke again and this time his voice filled with sorrow as he whispered, "I thought I had lost you."

The brunette ran a weary hand across her forehead as she smiled to reassure them both. "I'm still here. _Home_."

At first, the bearded king remained silent as he watched her with a distant look to his sharp eyes. Susan wondered if perhaps he was painting a mental picture of her, to preserve the moment forever in his mind. She realized he was holding his breath, as if breathing would shatter the world and throw the pieces of it to the wind. The thought widened her smile. As it did, Caspian raised his free hand and gently stroked her cheek. "You _are_ home."

She closed her eyes against his soothing touch and accepted the comfort she needed after recent events. "What happened after the Calormene lord stabbed me? I know of Aslan's aid afterwards but not much else."

"As it happened, I was searching for you in the gardens and came to you too late. I saw him stab you and rushed at him..." the king explained and his eyes lowered. "I killed him."

"Oh..." Susan breathed. "I'm sorry, that must have been terrible."

Caspian smirked in amusement as his eyes found hers. "The man tries to murder you and you apologize to me for killing him?"

"Well, when you put it like _that..."_ the Pevensie smirked back as the king's hand found its way into her hair. As his fingers ran through her long, dark locks, she continued, "Thank you, though. You saved my life. _Again_."

"Let's not make a habit of it," the king joked with his thick accent, but his smile barely grazed his eyes. "Suppose we're even now."

"Where are my siblings?"

"Aslan told us earlier that you had chosen to return to us. He instructed us to go to our own beds and rest assured of your decision," Caspian said softly and his hand kept tracing her jaw tenderly, as if touching her was a reassurance she truly was alive.

Susan couldn't help but smile at the man's tenderness and leaned into his touch. "And yet here you are."

"Not even Aslan could tear me from your side," he assured and his hand stilled against her cheek. "Susan… Edmund told me about what the _Erinyes_ showed you. He confirmed what I have long suspected."

The young woman frowned. What was this about? After twists and turns, she wasn't entirely certain she was following this particular sharp turn. She couldn't help the suspicious feeling that he would tell her it was all true. That he had fallen head over heels for the star's daughter and asked for her hand in marriage already during the banquet. So engrossed in her doubts, she didn't realize the king continued to caress her ivory skin.

"What I have long _hoped_," Caspian corrected himself with a simple breath. "It was all a lie. What the _Erinyes_ said. Even if it was true, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I can't distance myself again. I tried, and look where it got us. I knew from the start you were afraid and I thought it would pass in time. Truth was, I feared it, too."

"Feared what?"

"That you will return home to your... 'England', isn't it? That you didn't love me anymore. You nearly had me convinced about that, too, when you rejected me. Except that I now know the truth-"

The young woman interrupted him while only half-thinking about her actions. "You and I aren't destined to be together. The _Erinyes_ didn't lie. They can't have."

"Does not one coin have two sides?" Caspian disagreed. "One alternative does not have to be less than the other. You weren't destined to return, but here you are. Perhaps we write our own stories, and shouldn't bother with what others tells us ought to happen."

To this, Susan didn't have a reply and closed her mouth sharply as she pondered his words and the meaning behind them.

"Your worst fears were almost made true _because of your fears_, not because of anything else. If you had let doubt rule your heart, you would have been lost to me. But you didn't. You realized that _this_ is real. Us. _Narnia_. You returned to me and your siblings because you believed. I don't care what might happen down the line, but I know the truth now and I won't close my eyes to it. If I lose you, at least I'll be happy knowing that we tried. That fear didn't rule either of us."

The young queen searched for the right words but eventually released a defeated sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of her soul. "Must you make it so hard not to love you?"

"I'm afraid I must," Caspian smirked victoriously in reply.

Susan's smile fell away slightly. "But... do you truly mean it? Won't you regret it later?"

The king didn't speak a word as he swiftly moved from his chair to sit by her side on the covers. He pressed one hand down on the bed beside her head to balance himself as he leaned down. The young woman practically heard her heart thunder like hooves against a plain as Caspian's lips met hers for a second time. First time, she had kissed him goodbye in belief it was the end of their journey that never even had begun. This time, the young man was inviting her on a new journey with him. As he pulled back an inch, the king leaned his forehead against hers and lingered there to share a breath with her.

The Pevensie girl smiled timidly as she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "I guess you do mean it."

Caspian kissed her once more, this time with more fervor and emotion as he allowed himself the pleasure of the moment. Susan never wanted it to end and tugged on the nape of his neck to make him come closer. She felt him smile against her lips as his chest pressed against hers and he deepened the kiss. The young woman had thought she would never see this day come to past. Granted, that was mostly due to her own doubts, but she had to admit it felt terribly right to do something wrong, if this was truly to be counted as such. Now that she had tasted her desire, she didn't want to let it go at all.

As Susan giggled, the king pulled back an inch to gaze down at her with amused confusion. With a sheepish grin, she pinched his chin and explained, "Your beard tickles."

"I'll shave it, if you like?"

"No..." she refused as she tugged on his shoulders and his face lingered an inch away from her own. "I don't. Keep it."

"The beard does make the 1297 year age gap seem smaller, doesn't it?" Caspian mused before he captured her full lips with his own, and it was a long time before either came up for air.

* * *

"Good morning, lovebirds."

Caspian and Susan awoke to the cheerful voice. After a short conversation, the two of them had fallen asleep upon the bed. The queen had made room for the king, though the Telmarine had remained above the covers as she'd placed her head on his chest and soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber. As both blinked against the heavy bonds of sleep, Caspian's gaze at last landed on the tall, slim figure by the end of the bed.

"...Edmund?" he asked with a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

"Not much. I'm just happy I found _you _above the covers and my sister beneath," the dark-haired king said cheekily.

"_Edmund!"_ Susan gasped and raised her head to glare at her little brother as he pretended to imitate pure innocence. "You're only 16, you shouldn't be saying or thinking about things like that!"

Her younger brother shrugged and couldn't quite hide the amusement in his twinkling eyes. "And you're 18, Su, and _definitely_ thinking about things like that. Now, I wasn't actually here to tease you, though. Aslan's called to a private meeting in the council hall and I volunteered to retrieve the two of you. I wanted to see how my dear sister was doing now that she'd made the right decision. Our siblings are eagerly waiting to poke and prod to make sure you're alive, too."

The brunette sighed as she disentangled herself from Caspian's embrace and scooted over to the edge of the bed. She ducked her head to cover her blush as she said, "If you hadn't embarrassed me, I would have hugged you right now, brother."

The young man chortled. "Still worth it. I'm just glad to see you... _better, _sis."

"Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs in a minute," she said and her brother nodded before turning and exiting the room without further ado.

As Susan rose from her bed, Caspian stood up graciously and nodded towards the door. "I'll way outside."

The queen smiled as she faced him. "Sounds familiar," she said as she crossed the small divide and raised her arms to embrace him, when a sharp pain shot through her chest and grimaced. "_Ouch._ The stab wound still hurts and I can feel it. I think it'll actually leave a scar on my chest."

Caspian's worried frown evaporated into a humored one as he placed his hands on her arms. "You're not even playing hard to get, are you?"

Confusion passed her face momentarily before she remembered their little moment aboard the _Dawn Treader_, and blushed as she glared up at the tall, lean man. "Oh, har har. I was thinking about the healing process. See, with Aslan's aid or Lucy's cordial, it shouldn't still hurt anymore. And certainly not leave a scar."

"Want me to have a look?"

Susan felt as if her face was on fire as she pushed him toward the door. It didn't help that she heard his amused chuckle linger in the silence of her grand room even as he willingly let himself be steered towards the exit. "I'll be fine as long as you wait _outside_ while I change."

The king's hand reached out for the door knob when the young woman cleared her throat and held onto his strong arm. "Listen, I-"

"I know," Caspian interrupted in a low voice as his eyes found hers and he smiled warmly. "Don't worry. We'll take it as slow as you want."

"Really? You're going to let the person who's not playing hard to get decide the pace?"

"No," the king shook his head. "We're in it together. But you have more to work through, we both know that. I won't push you, I promise."

* * *

It was almost noon in Cair Paravel when Aslan's meeting began in the majestic council hall.

The Pevensie siblings, Caspian, Reepicheep, Trumpkin, Cornelius, Greagoir and a few other lords had all gathered in their seats around the table to hear what the mighty lion had to say. Aslan stood at the short end of the table and gazed at each participant in the hall with his knowing, ember eyes.

"I have come back in these darker days, because I could no longer stay away," he explained slowly. "An old evil has risen anew, creating chaos in its wake. There are powers – sorcery – growing in the depths of the great darkness that I should have prevented. Alas, there was little I could have done to stop it."

Peter leaned his elbows against the tabletop and met the lion's gaze as the bold king he once had been and the bold young man he still was. "Please, speak plainly. You only sound more confusing, though you're trying to explain. _What evil_? Is it Jadis again?"

"No, this is another evil, though they derive from the same source in a way," the lion clarified. The Pevensie man sighed in frustration and Aslan swiftly continued, "I can see your anger, King Peter-"

"Of course I'm angry!" the young man protested as he gazed at everyone around him frantically. He waved one warm in the direction of his sister who sat across from him around the table and his voice broke as he passionately declared, "My sister was almost killed yesterday! I simply want answers."

"If I may, my King?" the Lord Chancellor cleared his throat and all eyes turned to the professor where he sat at the end closest to the lion. "King Caspian asked me to look into the mysterious appearance of the well-known ship, The _Mist_, upon your unexpected return. I've done some research and I believe everything that's happened since is connected. The _Mist_, the _Erinyes_, your return, the events last night…"

In a more patient manner than that of his best friend, Caspian leaned forward and inquired, "_How_? How is it all connected, Cornelius?"

"Well, it all makes sense, doesn't it?" the half-dwarf offered. "Everything that's happened has occurred after the Kings and Queens of Old returned. And as the gracious Aslan has explained, this all has to do with dark magic. Very dark, indeed. I don't think any of you have fully comprehended yet the extent of the power one must possess in order to control these events."

"Hang on..." Edmund said in confused frustration as he glanced across the table at the Lord Chancellor. "I'm not sure I follow at all. Let's start with the basics. You're telling us there is someone very powerful and evil who's doing this to us? Who?"

"In my research I have found only one possible candidate," Cornelius said grimly. "He goes by no other name than _the Sorcerer_ from the scriptures I've found. He is of ancient breed and was created along with all the other evils of this world. Some sources indicate he was an apprentice of Jadis a very long time ago. He was feared for many centuries, but disappeared thousands of years ago. No one can quite explain how or why, but rumors seem to suspect he disappeared to search for the _Scepter of Power_."

"Eh..." Peter began and exchanged a look with his brother. "What?"

"The scepter is a long, forgotten myth that not even I knew much about before finding it mentioned in a book. It's claimed that whomever has the scepter in his possession can wield it as a controlling device over lesser evils."

"Maybe that is why he has waited until now to reveal himself again?" Caspian suggested with a disturbed frown. "He has finally found the scepter and learned how to use it. I assume it's with that object he has controlled the _Erinyes_ and the _Mist_?"

Lucy cleared her throat and all turned in the young girl's direction. "We've established the how and the who. But what about the 'why'? Why is this sorcerer doing all of this?"

Edmund smirked from his seat by his sister's right and nudged her in the ribs. "It's always the same thing with these guys, isn't it? They always want more power."

"Yes, yes… That's the _end result._ But why everything else?" she turned her gaze back to the mighty lion at the head of the table. "It has to do with what you said about our return, hasn't it? You didn't help us return to Narnia… But someone else must have. Did the Sorcerer send us back here? Why would he call us back only to try and kill us at once?"

Cornelius locked gazes with the youngest queen and smiled kindly down at her as he shifted in his seat. "You ask bright questions for your years, my Queen. I have found another story in my books that might shed some light on it. It's very old and written in a tongue I can't fully comprehend. On top of that, it concerns old_,_ dangerous magic I do not know. I shall try to explain. First, I believe the Sorcerer took control of the _Mist_ for one simple reason. _The Dagger of the Mist_."

"Say what? He took control over the most dreaded ship that ever sailed these waters… for a dagger?" Edmund seemed about ready to spontaneously combust out of pure confusion of everything he was hearing.

"No, no. It is a very powerful dagger. Remember when you were attacked by the Mist, there were no casualties aboard the_ Dawn Treader_," the Lord Chancellor turned to the bearded king and continued, "You told me, your highness, that the only one the _Mist_ seemed interested in was Queen Lucy."

Caspian nodded. "That's true."

"And, my Queen," the half-dwarf turned back to the young girl in question, "you received only a cut on the hand, did you not?"

Lucy hesitated, "Yes. But that was merely a scratch from the fall. A splinter."

Cornelius interjected, "I believe it came from the dagger. The wound, it did not heal as normal wounds do? It is small and it appears we have all forgotten it, but it still grazes your hand as if inflicted only yesterday, does it not? Such scars can only be created by magical objects."

"Oh God..." Susan breathed from her seat next to Caspian. A chill crept up her spine and she clutched the king's hand beneath the table as she explained her reaction, "My wound. It still hurts, even despite Aslan and Lucy's cordial, I remarked on it just earlier. It won't disappear, will it? Never?"

The Pevensie beside her nodded fervently as he caught on to the line of thought. "Also, the dagger that was used against you was never retrieved. And when I confronted the _Erinye_, I swear I saw something glisten in the creature's hand. Like a dagger. I thought it was, but when I had killed it I couldn't find anything... Could it all be the same weapon? Does it have the power to... disappear?"

"Yes," Cornelius nodded. "If summoned by its master, it can disappear. The dagger, you see, is very special. Evidently it can be used to inflict harm, but also to store blood."

"_Store blood_?" Susan questioned with a disgusted grimace. "But why?"

"Ah, that's what I was getting to," the Lord Chancellor said and seemed pleased to finally have arrived at the goal of his long tale. "There is an old ritual, you might call it. Some say it was created the moment you four killed Jadis before the Golden days as a solution to replace the evil in this world. That is what the ancient text I found is about. It's hard to understand…I am no dark sorcerer but tried to translate it into a language I knew. I believe that if a sorcerer who does understand it all completes the _ritual _he will have powers to conquer everything."

"What is the ritual?" the eldest Pevensie girl asked.

"I have only managed to decipher some of the outlines of it. It does involve you four Kings and Queens of old. You were the greatest sources of good this world has seen. If one collects blood from all four of you and completes the ritual… one can gain the strongest, darkest power Narnia will ever see. It has to do with the balance of good and evil. The greater the good, the greater the evil can become."

"A scepter, a dagger and a dark ritual. _Splendid_!" Edmund breathed with heavy sarcasm rolling from his tongue. "This guy did his homework, didn't he?"

"If what you're saying is true, Lord Cornelius, then the Sorcerer already has mine and Susan's blood," Lucy commented and her eyes danced with fear as she beheld the people around her. "If he gets to Peter and Edmund he can become powerful enough to overthrow Caspian and put an end to the free world as we know it. Narnia will be as dark as it was during Jadis' reign?"

"Don't worry, Luce," Peter muttered and met her gaze across the table. "We won't let him get to us."

For a second, there was only silence in the room that seemed to linger like a heavy cloak above their heads as the group digested this new information. Though much had been answered, much remained unsure and unclear. The air was tense from fear and anger as everyone tried to comprehend what awaited on the horizon.

It was as if someone had pulled open the thick curtains and exposed the glaring light outside, and it made for a truly rude awakening.

"How…" Edmund began, and his voice lingered behind in the void created by the sudden silence."… do we stop this man from completing the ritual? I'm not saying that the general 'don't let the bad guy get our blood' isn't a good plan… But what else can we do? I mean, it seems to me that he's getting more desperate. Lucy was merely scratched on the hand whereas the Calormene Lord almost killed Susan yesterday. Either the Sorcerer's getting desperate or simply more efficient. Either way, I don't want to wait for him here. I want to go out there and stop him."

"No, Edmund!" Susan spoke strongly and her eyes danced with sorrow as she faced the young man. "As you said, I was almost killed last night! Let us not rush to send anyone off to their deaths right now. Why can't we seek out Cornelius' books for more answers? We need to understand what the ritual truly means if we are to stop this. Riding off, head-first, into battle seems like an awful plan."

"Susan's right," Caspian agreed beside her. "There's much we still don't understand. Let's try to first before we consider the option of attack."

* * *

_To be continued._


	18. When the table turns

**18**.** When The Table Turns**

"Listen to me... If I die-"

Caspian shook his head and pushed away from the balustrade and Susan's embrace. "But you won't!"

They'd spent most of the day in the royal library, looking for something to explain the ritual Cornelius had mentioned, but they had found nothing when they at last had called it a day. Tired and exhausted, the couple had avoided prying eyes as they'd returned to Susan's chamber to watch the sunset in private. The tender moment had not lasted long before the woman had made her worries public.

The Queen of the Horn leaned against the balustrade and gazed out towards the horizon and the darkening sky that chased the light of day. Her tender, hoarse voice was low as she ignored the king's outburst, "I almost did yesterday."

"This isn't about yesterday," the Telmarine countered with his own accent carrying strong yet gentle above the evening breeze. "It's about today. You're trying to find arguments to convince me I didn't act myself this morning when you awoke."

"You're a logical person, Caspian," the Pevensie argued. "Now that we know why we were called back, Aslan will send us to England as soon as this is over. It's the way it was last time."

"First of all, this is _love_. There's no logic involved. And I thought we had decided to not let fear rule us in this decision."

The woman shook her head as she refused to accept defeat in this. She'd had a whole day to think about it and though things were vastly different, some remnants of doubt lingered in the recesses of her mind. "I don't want you to waste yourself on me, when you have someone like the star's daughter to make you happy."

The king sighed from somewhere behind her before his arms tugged on her to turn around. His large, calloused hands rose to cup the woman's cheeks as his eyes searched hers long and hard for something. Susan distantly covered one of his hands with her own as she waited patiently for an explanation to his mute inquiries.

"I know you are still riddled with doubt, and that it will take time to overcome it," the man said at length. "Certainly, you won't be at peace until you know for sure. Nor will I. But I have made my choice, and I know you have, too. _Regardless_ of what happens, I'm with _you_ now. No one else. I'll keep saying it over and over until your doubts disappear if I have to."

The young woman smiled as she stepped forward and buried her face in the crook of his neck and felt his long, strong arms envelope her lovingly. "I'm sorry, Caspian. I wish I didn't doubt... But I _do_ want this. Still, I don't think we should tell anyone. Not yet, at least. There's so much going on and everyone needs a clear head to face the dangers that lie ahead. Besides, it concerns only us for now, since the future is so uncertain."

The man chuckled and his warm breath tickled the queen's neck. "You're merely afraid to tell your siblings the truth and hear more cheekiness ensue."

The young woman merely snorted in reply.

* * *

The day after, Caspian informed his private council of the latest revelations regarding their foe, and at the end was pleased the meeting had gone smoothly. That was, until he found Lord Greagoir had wandered over to his throne while the other lords had either left the room or were preparing to do so now that it was done.

"I now this is not the time," the grey-haired lord began, "but I saw you and Ramandu's daughter at the banquet. Would she not make a wonderful queen? I believe she is still present in Cair Paravel, if you wish me to call for her."

"Lady Lilliandil sailed home this morning, my lord," Caspian clarified. "I met with her earlier to say farewell and wish her good fortune with life."

"Oh?" the elder man managed with a dazed look to his pale eyes. "I thought..."

Further down the table, Trumpkin raised his head and Caspian noticed he had overheard the conversation as he stepped closer and said, "Are you bothering our king with the marital issue even after the assassination attempt on the Gentle Queen of Narnia? Surely, there is a time and place for everything."

"Certainly. My apologies. It is just that..." Greagoir broke off hesitantly and didn't continue until after the Telmarine man gave him an encouraging nod, "I had heard a rumor that the king himself was bothering with the topic. Though, if he's not courting Ramandu's daughter, it must be someone else. Is it the lady from Archenland? Or... perhaps the Gentle Queen herself?"

Caspian's widened gaze betrayed him and the old lord at once changed facial expression from day to night. His face turned red with agitation and his shock was evident in his eyes as he blurted, "It's a scandal!"

The king's dignified face scrunched up in a tight frown as he stared his adviser down. "What do you mean '_scandal_', my lord? Need I remind you of your proper place at this court?"

"I did not mean to overstep, your highness. But it cannot be accepted by the council that you've chosen to court Queen Susan. You should have consulted the council first."

The short red-dwarf snorted in amusement. "He should have asked the council regarding his choice of _love?"_

_"_Regarding his choice of _bride_, yes, Trumpkin," Greagoir breathed through clenched teeth and glanced behind to make sure the three of them were alone. "As you are aware was agreed upon before we sailed off aboard the _Dawn Treader_."

The loyal dwarf once more spoke up, and the king was grateful for what he heard, "I'm a member of this council, and I fail to see how it could disapprove of Queen Susan. She's one of the finest leaders Narnia has ever seen and is likely to ever see again."

Greagoir was not as easily swayed. Like old leather, he persisted against the elements that worked against him, "The Gentle Queen of Narnia would indeed be a great choice for any king and I do not mean to disrespect the lady. _However_, she's not from our lands and it must be common knowledge that she will not remain for a long period. Not her nor her siblings. What happens then, your highness? What are the consequences for your people? When she is gone, you will have no wife and no heir to the throne!"

"Then I take it you do not grant me your blessing, noble lord?" Caspian questioned in a weary voice. "Know that I have not asked for her hand and that the queen and I have discussed this problem. But as we have established here today, there are others danger to worry about first."

The aging man quickly countered, "Speaking on that note: was it not you, your highness, that pointed out that love would come second to dealing with the mystery surrounding the Pevensies return? Would you no be wiser to take your own advise and not put your heart before your people and Narnia?"

"I will consider your words," the king said at length and made it clear the conversation was over.

* * *

Susan sat beneath the young tree in the Pevensie garden, lost in her thoughts which were reaching deep as an ocean inside her. Her solitude was suddenly interrupted when the mighty lion entered the garden and wordlessly joined the young woman's side. Susan distantly reached out a hand and stroked his golden mane as he began to purr. In her other hand rested a pale daffodil against the dark wine-red fabric of her dress.

"I wish I had been stronger," the queen whispered at length as the wind caressed the leaves above her head. "I wish my faith had been stronger and that my belief in you had not faltered."

"Sometimes, wishing is not enough," Aslan pointed out. "Your actions, dear one, has proven to me that you are stronger than you believe, as is your belief in all of this."

"Maybe," Susan said and met the lion's golden gaze. "But what if I had made the wrong choice?"

"One cannot know what might have been, Queen Susan."

The young woman tugged a lock of her long tresses behind her ear as she smiled sadly. "There is always just one more battle to fight, isn't there?"

"Yes, my little one," the feline agreed in his soothing, strong voice. "Let your wish of a safer tomorrow carry your forward, as it should, but do not surrender entirely to the dream."

Susan dared not meet the lion's gaze as she asked the question that long had burned her throat, "What will become of me afterwards, Aslan? What will become of any of us?"

"The future is yet unwritten."

* * *

"My son is dead _because of you_!" Goraidh growled like a beast and threw his cup across the room. It crashed into the wall and fell to the floor in pieces. The tisroc watched the spilled liquid flow onto the floor as his breaths heaved. He leaned against the table, gazing down at the note they had just received filled with the bad news.

On the other end of the room, by one of the grand windows, stood the Sorcerer with the short scepter in his hand. The magician was gazing down at it as if not listening to the Calormene lord at all. On the window sill, a dark feathered falcon sat, polishing its feathers after having delivered its message successfully.

"Your son is dead because he did not follow the plan," the Sorcerer pointed out. "He killed himself! None the matter… He got what he was sent out to retrieve."

Upon hearing this, the tisroc glared down at the dagger that rested atop the table in front of him beside the note. He looked closer and saw the two dark liquids dance side by side within the glistening blade.

The loss of his son had struck the man harder than expected, but in the end Anash had died for a good cause and completed his mission, just as his company had suggested. They were one step closer to ending King Caspian X's reign because of it. A new era would commence and Narnia would be his soon enough.

"What is our next step?" Goraidh asked and turned his gaze at the other man.

The Sorcerer's cloak floated around his feet as he turned around and his ice cold eyes bore into the tisroc's soul. "Gather your men. It's time we strike Cair Paravel for the finale."

"Strike the palace? I thought it was too well guarded for an attack?" the man hissed. "Needless to say, our presence would be known long before reaching Narnian soil."

"We shall have stealth, my _friend_," the last word was spoken more in jest than in truth. "I know of a passage that will get us to the very heart of Narnia."

"And what of these news?" Goraidh madly waved the note between the two. "They _know_. About you and your powers. About the scepter and the dagger. How can we have stealth when they know everything?"

"We still have the upper hand. They're still shocked after the attack on the Pevensie queen and we must act swiftly_. The time has come_, my lord. The Narnians will be none the wiser."

Goraidh smiled wickedly as he crossed his arms over his chest. His own fears melted away as he understood the Sorcerer perfectly. "I shall ready my men at Calormen's Grove then. They will be ready within the hour."

The Sorcerer smiled back and the evil that shone in his eyes even made the other man shudder internally. One of the Sorcerer's lean hands stroked the tip of his scepter as he spoke, "Make it sooner…"

* * *

Susan tilted her head to the side and squinted at the sun's bright lights as she beheld Caspian before her, a bow in his hand. Though he had improved during the past three years, his archery was still not on par with her own. The young man, in turn, glanced back at her with wide eyes. There was disbelief in his voice as he spoke in his heavy accent, "You wish for me to hit a pine cone again?"

The queen moved closer to the king, stepping so close that her chest grazed the back of his pale shirt. Innocently, she pointed up at a tree far beyond the practice field. "Yes, _that_ one."

The bearded man squinted in the direction her slender finger pointed and leaned back just an inch so that their bodies touched. "Now, this time it _is_ an acorn."

Susan arched one fine eyebrow. "Too small for you then?"

Caspian frowned and scratched his beard with his free hand as he pondered his options. At length he lowered the bow. "A good king knows when he is beaten."

"Well, you'd better get used to it," the girl smirked up at the man as he turned around and put his free arm around her waist. "I tend to win, you know."

"Why do I not have a hard time believing that?" Caspian asked as he leaned closer and kissed her sweetly. His heart pounded in his chest and he was sure the woman in his arms could hear it. Still, the echoes of Greagoir's words earlier reminded him of what needed to be voiced and he pulled back slightly. "Listen, Susan... Lord Greagoir cornered me after the meeting this morning and figured out the truth about us. He was... less than supportive."

Susan smoothed a wrinkle in his shirt as she whispered, "And you think he is supported by more council members?"

The man opened his mouth to continue when suddenly he was roughly interrupted by the eldest Pevensie brother storming across the field towards them.

"_Oy_!" Peter shouted. "Hands off my sister!"

Caspian jumped back as if having been commanded by a superior force. The young woman rolled her eyes as her brother came to a halt beside them. "What do you think you're doing, Peter?"

"I'm trying to protect you, Su," the elder boy remarked in a short tone as he waved his index finger in his friend's face. "You know I hold in you in high regard, but this is _my sister_. She's been miserable since our return, and we all know it's because of you."

"Oh, way to be blunt, brother?" the girl muttered before she stood up tall and met his gaze head on. "You've misinterpreted the whole thing. It doesn't matter anymore, anyway. Everything's different since I was awoke after the events in the garden, I'm not miserable anymore."

The eldest Pevensie seemed to shrug off her words as he once more faced the dark-haired man. "If you _ever_ hurt my sister… I will personally hunt you down and kill you. I don't care if you're a friend and king of Narnia."

As the brunette opened her mouth to speak, Caspian raised his hand to stop her. He could understand his friend's worry. Though the Telmarine himself had never enjoyed the company of siblings, he considered the Pevensies the closest thing to it. If anything happened to either of them he knew he would react exactly like Peter was now. "I assure you, if I ever did you would not have to hunt me down. I would surrender myself willingly to your punishment."

The former High king seemed somewhat thrown by this response and nodded stiffly. "Good. Then we agree. Just keep her safe, that's all I ask."

The young woman rolled her eyes once more. "_Boys.._. Honestly. I can take care of myself, Peter."

"Susan, you don't understand," the man remarked and turned to his sister. He opened his mouth to continue, but she beat him to the punchline.

"Of course I do. It's always been you and I. We've always behaved like parents almost to Ed and Luce, to protect them. But sometimes, you're _over-_protecting. Just ask Lucy after your little stint at the feast."

Peter opened his mouth to reply but faltered as his gaze flew up into the sky. About eight meters into the air, a dark falcon hovered above their heads. Even from the distance, the Pevensie man saw something pale attached to its leg. Suddenly, he recalled a small detail he had almost forgotten. He connected the dots and whispered to the king beside him, "Shoot the bird down. I'll explain after. Just shoot."

Caspian hesitated only a second before he strung an arrow to the bow and fired it at the bird. He hit it square in the chest and the falcon fell dead to the ground a few feet away from the trio.

"At least I could hit _that_ target," the Telmarine remarked to Susan before turning to his friend. "Could you share your thoughts with us now?"

Peter didn't reply as he strode over to the dead bird and knelt by its side. He took the the note attached to the bird's leg and returned to the others again. "Look at this."

"A message falcon," Susan breathed as the man opened the papyrus notes and read it silently to himself. When finished, he pushed it into his sister's hands and turned to face Caspian.

"You have a leak among your people," Peter said in a cold voice and explained himself, "I saw a falcon – _this _falcon – fly away from the _Dawn Treader_ in the middle of the night during our first night back. I've believed for some time now that someone has been sharing our secrets with the enemy. How else could the enemy always have known our next moves? But I didn't understand the connections until now. This is the final proof."

Susan read the note out loud, "...'Your assistance and information, as always, is valued. We shall come through the passage within the hour to collect the rest. Be prepared.' It doesn't have a signature. Do you think it's from the Sorcerer? But what passage does it speak of?"

Caspian hurriedly said, "Cornelius will know. Come, we have little time. We must warn the others."

* * *

The trio wasted no time as they gathered their closest confidants for an emergency meeting and explained their recent discovery. The Pevensie siblings, along with the Lord Chancellor, Trumpkin and Rumpelstiltskin sat in stiff silence after receiving the information.

"You don't think your conclusions are possibly erroneous?" the dwarf Trumpkin asked after letting the news sink in. "I think you're supporting your theories on very little fact."

"It would explain a lot, however," Edmund pointed out from his seat and shrugged. "How it always seemed our enemy was ahead of us and knew more of us than we knew of them… But what does the message mean? And who's it from?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lord," Cornelius said as he inspected the note in his hand and turned back to the other. "I don't know of the passage referred to in the note. I shall consult my books and see what I can find."

Caspian nodded at his old friend as the short man exited the room. The king then glanced about all the people in the room and turned to Reepicheep last. "You, gather the men. Make them battle ready. We must be prepared for whatever is coming-"

A frantic horn interrupted his words from outside and echoed glaringly in the chamber, touching their hearts as if a song of fright. The alarm sounded once more and there could be no doubt of its intention this time.

"Too late," Edmund commented and his whisper died out in the tense silence that followed the horn.

* * *

As Goraidh led his company of trained swordsmen atop the winged beasts as they soared through the Narnian air. With the Sorcerer's portal, they had arrived in the lands not far away from the city and palace at all. As they soared over the pale white walls of the palace, Goraidh heard the horrified screams of women, men and children from further down the village and around him in the courtyard.

The guards present in the courtyard were taken by surprise and so swiftly defeated by the Calormene troops. As their blood stained the stone ground, the tisroc and his assassins entered Cair Paravel without much delay. The leader ordered some of his men to stay behind and prepare for the getaway, while his most esteemed men stayed close on his heel as they ran for the throne room.

As his men hurried forward take out the guards that awaited outside the doors, Goraidh withdrew the Dagger of the Mist from his belt and glanced down at the peculiar weapon. Soon it would be filled with the blood of High King Peter and King Edmund, too. They would bleed for the sins the Narnians had done to his son, and for the tisroc's awaiting future as ruler of all this. He was so close he could practically smell victory on the air.

As the last Narnian guard was slain, the Calormene men threw open the heavy, wooden doors and were unsurprised to find their true opposition inside. Close to the throne at the end of the beautiful, stone chamber stood King Caspian X himself, the Pevensies, a mouse, a dwarf and a few soldiers. The tisroc could not help but smirk as he reveled in the knowledge of his surprise attack. The Sorcerer had been right when he had counted this as the opportune moment.

"Who are you? What do you want?" The bearded Telmarine questioned in a strong voice most befit a king as the tisroc stepped forward to the head of the group. The younger king drew his sword to show his willingness to fight, and he was followed by the Pevensie boys and soldiers drawing their own weapons. The others seemed more patient and contemplative.

All dressed in black and with the dagger glistening under the sun's rays from a window nearby, Goraidh slowly stepped in a half-circle before his foes. His voice resembled a bear's growl as he replied, "I believe you know what I am after. Will you give me the blood voluntarily or will you fight me for it?"

"Sorry to disappoint," Peter commented dryly as he stepped forward and his stance spoke volumes of his defiance. He raised the sword upward and glared across the hall at the tisroc.

"Oh, I'm not disappointed, quite the opposite," Goraidh hummed and without further delay ordered his men to commence the final assault.

As his men flew forward with great agile and speed, the tisroc himself headed for the eldest Pevensie king before him. There could be no doubt that the Calormene troop outnumbered the Narnian force present, and if he was quick enough, Goraidh knew there would be no time for back up to arrive.

At the center of the hall, Caspian fought against the largest soldier of the enemy group. Despite his immense seize, the man was both fast and lean, which had the Telmarine man occupied as he could not find a weakness to attack. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Edmund was dueling two men at once, but seemed unknowing about the fact that he was backing up against the wall.

"Edmund!" Susan cried out from his other side in warning as she, too, noticed the danger, but there was no time to explain for the lean queen as she was held busy by a swift swordsman. Despite her weakness with the blade, she managed to hold her own though it was clear she was on the defense without any means to go on the offence and beat her opponent.

On the other side of Caspian, Lucy and Reepicheep fought together against a foe and somewhere behind him, the Telmarine king could hear swords clashing together from the battle between Peter and the leader.

The eldest Pevensie knew he was quicker than the older man before him, but the other was also fiercely strong and so their advantages evened out. It wasn't long before the former High king found himself cornered not far from a wall and with the dark-clad man in hot pursuit, he tried to think of a plan hastily. As a last resort, Peter turned about and ran the short distance towards the wall, kicked off it and flipped backwards to land on the other side of his opponent.

His move had been anticipated however, and as he landed, Peter received a strong kick to the stomach that sent him tumbling backwards onto the hard, stone floor. His head hit the ground and everything became hazy as the room spun slightly. He tried to stand up but the dizziness overwhelmed him like a wave upon a beach and he fell back down. Distantly, he heard his brother cry out his name in alarm.

A shadow suddenly lingered above him and a foot pressed down hard against his shoulder to keep him in place. Goraidh leaned close to the man's face and raised the dagger for the king to see as he whispered, "You're the lucky one. From you, I will only draw a drop of blood."

With those words, the tisroc cut the king across the forearm, placed the knife in its hilt and punched his enemy unconcious. Goraidh stood tall above the king as he watched his men fight around him. He made eye contact with the one fighting the other Pevensie king and with a swift nod, the men set upon their new task. Edmund was kicked into the wall and his grip on his sword loosened as it did. The sound of its clatter echoed between the stone walls as the king, too, was punched unconcious and thrown over the Calormene soldier's shoulder.

"_Edmund!_" Susan cried again as she saw the men race towards the exit with her younger brother. They seemed to have a clear path to escape and the young woman felt her fear rise within her chest like the tide. She pushed against her assailer to stop them but the man pushed her off-balance and she fell, hands first, onto the stone floor with a pained grunt.

Her eyes traveled up towards the entrance to the throne room where she saw her brother being carried out of sight as a few other men fled, and her eyes wandered to the leader of their unknown foes. The short man with tan skin and dark features smirked down at her through plain maliciousness before he fled the room. Susan heard a powerful cry behind her and turned around on the floor just in time to see Caspian kill her attacker before the man could kill the queen.

The Telmarine and the young woman both looked up as the wooden door creaked almost painfully as it was shut behind the last of the fleeing attackers and sealed from the outside.

* * *

_To be continued._


	19. Day of Reckoning

**19. Day of reckoning**

"_Peter_!" Lucy whispered as she rushed over to her fallen brother who was just coming to. He moaned in pain and rubbed the back of his head tenderly as he came to a sitting position on the cold, hard floor.

"Ow... that will leave a bump," he hissed and looked his sister over with a worried gleam in his pale eyes. "You're not hurt, are you, Lu?"

"No, no," she assured fervently. "We're all fine. But they took Edmund!"

"We must follow! Come on!" Peter breathed without hesitation as his sister helped him stand.

"They locked us in here," Trumpkin breathed grumpily from the back of the room and limped over to the siblings. "We can't follow."

As Lucy tended to the DLF's wound, the eldest Pevensie raised his gaze to the closed doors. His eyes wandered to Caspian and Susan not far away. The Telmarine man's arm lay around the woman's smaller frame and Peter met his friend's gaze head on. Stiffly, he managed an approving nod. He knew Susan didn't see it the same way he did, but he was nonetheless happy to see Caspian had kept her safe. It was all he really wanted to know, in the end.

Scraping noises and muffled voices sounded from the other side of the doors then and the Pevensies, Caspian, Reepicheep and Trumpkin turned as the doors were finally opened and the Lords Enric and Roshan along with the Captain of the guards hurried inside. They all looked worn from battle and frowns covered their faces as they entered the throne room.

"Majesty, are you alright?" the dark-eyed Roshan wondered and one of his hands rested on his sword handle as he gazed about wearily.

"We're fine," the bearded king re-assured as he let go of the queen and stepped forward. "What of the attackers?"

"They had King Edmund, we didn't dare interfere," the Captain declared solemnly. "They had winged beasts waiting in the courtyard, and we could not get close."

"We had scouts follow them on horseback, though," Enric assured. "We'll find how they could enter Cair Paravel and Narnia without being detected sooner."

"We _were_ warned," Peter said in a dark voice and pulled out the small note he, Susan and Caspian had recovered from the falcon earlier. "We got this."

"What is it?" Roshan questioned as he frowned down at the small piece of paper.

"A message meant for someone in the castle," Susan explained shortly and a tinge of sadness added a layer of darkness to her voice. "It must have been sent from the Sorcerer and warned of the attack. It gave us very little time to prepare. The note could prove he had help from the inside and it means we have a leak."

"How did you acquire it?" Enric asked in fascination as he gazed at the queen.

"We intercepted a message bird."

The Telmarine lord slowly raised his gaze with an unreadable expression and asked, "What kind of bird?"

Susan frowned in confusion upon noticing Roshan's odd reaction. "A falcon."

The two lords visibly stiffened and exchanged a glance not lost on the others. Peter at once stepped forward and grabbed hold of the Telmarine lord's collar and growled, "You know something about this. Whose was the falcon?"

The man shrugged out of the king's grasp as he bowed his head and explained, "It's true. We know whose bird it might be..."

"_Speak!"_ Caspian spoke in a deadly calm voice that seemed all the more menacing than the Pevensie man's plain anger.

The younger, military lord cleared his throat and spoke up, "There's only one man of the council who still uses falcons as messenger birds."

* * *

The Telmarine king stretched tall in his throne as he glared down at the suspected party. "Lord Greagoir, you have been accused of dealing with enemies of Narnia and sharing information with the Sorcerer by use of messenger falcons. Defend yourself against these accusations."

Only twenty minutes or so had passed since the surprise attack and the news of their leak had come to light. The king had ordered the elder man's arrest and brought him before the court while he awaited news of their attackers whereabouts. Their surprise attackers were still strangers to them and thus they could not be certain from where they had entered onto Narnian soil.

"I-I... Your highness," Greagoir stuttered and gazed about him at the other council members and the Pevensie siblings. When they had found the elder man he had been in his private chambers, packing for a swift escape. When he had been caught, he had made an attempt to throw himself out the window but had been stopped in time. "I assure you, I have done nothing wrong."

Susan, who sat in the seat to Caspian's right, frowned down at the man at the end of the table. "That is a peculiar choice of words, my lord. 'Nothing wrong' doesn't necessarily mean 'Innocent'."

Before her words had died on her tongue, lord Roshan flew from his seat and stepped towards the accused. A guard stopped him and though he seized his furious charge, he turned his dark eyes on the elder lord. "Do not lie to your king, old friend! How could you, Greagoir? I considered you a trusted friend. You were a confidant for most of us present in the council!"

"This betrayal is beyond words..." the young Enric spoke from his seat beside the mad Telmarine, and kept his face impassive as he gazed down at the table top before him. After a second, the Narnian concluded, "It cannot be forgiven."

"Enough of this," Peter stated loudly and waited until Roshan returned to his seat before he continued, "Our brother has been taken, and we need to know by whom, where and why. You will tell us the truth or suffer the consequences."

The pale eyes of Greagoir met the Pevensie's as his final resolve vanished like the wind on a cold spring morning. The elder man shook his head and his former resolve and protective walls seemed to crumble like the mightiest rock before them. His eyes slowly changed to coldest ice as he glared up at the royalties before him.

"This is not about my actions," the old man began, "What I did, I did for Narnia."

"_For Narnia_?" Caspian frowned and felt his own fury rise within him like a thunderstorm.

Greagoir snorted in barely concealed amusement. "Your uncle would have been a far better king than you, Caspian X... You are a weakling more focused on your own quests than to advance the lands. There is peace, yes... but what more? I have tried to guide you to excel these past years. But you never listened, too blind to observe the truth... Narnia has the possibility to be so much more than it is. The future of these lands cannot be trusted to an incompetent man as yourself. A king who can't even secure his own legacy on the throne because of a frail heart and weak mind! _How can a man such as him rule Narnia into the future?_"

As his former adviser spoke, the Telmarine king had slowly risen from his seat and walked along the table towards him. His dark eyes shone with silent fury like the skies before lightning strikes as he at last came nose to nose with the man. To the side, Reepicheep stepped closer, ready to intercept if need arose.

"I have heard enough," Caspian's thick accent hid none of his malcontent as he glared down at the elder man. "Under my reign, Narnia has grown and will continue to do so because our lands finally have something it hasn't enjoyed since the Golden days of the Pevensies. The peace, which you so easily dismiss, is crucial for the citizens. Apart from this, Narnia also has a sovereign who truly cares for them. I do not wish to rule as a tyrant like Miraz, it is true... As for my heart, the choice was never yours to make. I see now where you wished to _guide_ me even in this regard. I will marry whom I will one day, and if there are repercussions I will deal with them. Do not for one second believe my people would suffer for my 'frail heart and weak mind'."

"_You're too blind to see_," Greagoir shook his head in dismay. "I don't expect you to understand why I felt the need to accept the Sorcerer's help."

"Help?" Lucy questioned and everyone turned in her direction where she stood beside the thrones. "What do you mean '_help_'?"

"The Sorcerer can give Narnia what it truly needs. _A strong leader_. In exchange for helping him, he has offered to reward me richly with the crown."

"You think he has not offered the same deal to others?" Caspian growled in a low voice and secretly rejoiced as he saw the lord's face falter. The Telmarine king seized the other by the front of his shirt and said, "The man who attacked today was not the Sorcerer, was it? I caught a glimpse of the Sorcerer when the _Mist_ attacked our ship. That man was taller than the man we saw today. Who was he?"

The elder lord chuckled despite his position and the two kings exchanged weary gazes. "Why are you laughing?" Peter asked stiffly from his throne.

"It's been under your nose this entire time, and yet you haven't seen it," Greagoir commented. "Who else would send his son to the death?"

At the head of the table, Susan rose from her seat and addressed the two men at the end of the room, "I thought he looked familiar. They all did, in a manner. Their tanned skin is not uncommon for these worlds, but the cruelty in their eyes is. He's referring to _Lord Anash_."

Caspian's gaze widened as he released the Narnian lord and contemplated the queen's words. "... It makes sense. I've heard reports of his ill-tempered father's unsatisfying desire to gain power. We didn't take it seriously, though. The Calormenes are always threatening war. The Sorcerer must be working with the tisroc. He's probably been offered the same deal as the good lord here."

"Forgive my intrusion," the Lord Chancellor raised his voice almost enthusiastically. "I didn't connect the dots until now, but I've been studying my books for the hidden passage mentioned in what we previously described. I've managed to decipher one of the ancient texts regarding the ritual. Roughly translated it offers us a location for the ritual. It spoke of a magical place like none other. A _sacred grove _underground, in a world otherwise bathed in sand and heat."

"Mm, that would describe Calormen," Susan agreed impassively. Though it had been a long time since she visited and a short time it had been, she vividly remembered the scorching heat from the sun and the soft sand beneath her toes. As she continued, the Captain of the guards entered the room and remained waiting by the open door. "But Calormen is far south. We would have been warned of their approach long before the tisroc and his men appeared."

The Captain cleared his throat and stepped over to Caspian close by the entrance. "I just received word from my scouts. It appears the winged beasts flew into the depths of the forest southeast of here, where they disappeared without a trace between two trees."

Cornelius nodded once as he gazed between the sovereigns. "The portal in the texts is possibly a hidden portal, a gateway of sorts, between Narnia and this grove in Calormen. The Sorcerer must have opened it to let the tisroc enter Narnia and then return."

"And what about Edmund?" Peter asked. "Why did they take our brother? The tisroc only needed a few drops of my blood, why didn't they do the same with him?"

At this, the half-dwarf's eyes suddenly fell to the floor and he humbly replied, "As I said, I have managed to learn more about the ritual. It seems I was somewhat wrong. To complete the ritual, the Sorcerer will need the blood of all four siblings... but the ritual also requires the sacrifice of one of you. Any of you."

"_What_?" Lucy breathed and felt Susan's trembling hand clasp her own tightly. "Are you saying…?"

"We won't let them kill, Ed," Peter promised as he walked over to his sisters and placed a brotherly hand on their shoulders. "We'll stop it before the Sorcerer can complete the ritual."

"We have to hurry then," Susan whispered and turned her pleading eyes to Caspian who nodded in response.

The tall, proud king turned to his old friend. "Cornelius, can you find out how to open the portal that takes us to the grove?"

"I already have, my king," the elder professor guaranteed with a reassuring smile.

"Very well. Captain, Enric, prepare the men. We'll take a small number of soldiers with us through the portal in search of King Edmund, but I want the rest to be prepared in case we must face the entire Calormene army in open combat," he commanded and then turned back to the aging man beside him. His eyes looked him up and down with distaste as he said, "But first… Lock Lord Greagoir away."

The Captain and Enric bowed their heads to the king and swiftly left the hall, leading the elder lord between them. The other lords of the council hurriedly left the room to help make arrangements, as the inner circle of Caspian's most trusted remained behind. As soon as the others were gone, the Telmarine king walked back to the thrones and turned his warm gaze to the Pevensie sisters.

"I don't wish for you to come with us this time," Caspian said in a tender voice. "The Sorcerer requires one of you to be sacrificed. I don't wish to risk your lives so blatantly should things go awry."

"We can protect ourselves!" Lucy said in defiance and it seemed flames burned bright in her eyes as she held her ground.

"If I may, my lord?" the small mouse asked, speaking for the first time since the debate began and proudly so. "I've sworn an oath to protect the Queens and I fully intend to live up to my given word. If you let them accompany us, I shall guarantee their safety myself."

"I'm afraid I have another task in mind for you, Reep," the eldest Pevensie spoke and then turned his gaze up at his friend. With a shrug, Peter admitted, "I'd love to stop my sisters, too. But... they're _my sisters_. I already know it's impossible."

* * *

Lucy stretched tall in the saddle and gazed about her, straining her neck in order to spy above the soldier's heads and past the small horde of horses ahead of her. Their small entourage consisted of seven soldiers besides the Pevensies, Caspian, Roshan and Reepicheep had reached the areas of the wood indicated by the Narnian scouts. The portal had to be close by.

From behind the young queen in the sadle, Reepicheep cleared his throat. "My queen, what are you looking for?"

"Aslan…" the young brunette explained. "I couldn't find him before we left, and I can't find him now… It's like he's disappeared once more."

The warrior mouse sat silently a minute before he commented, "Maybe the mighty lion isn't present, because this time we must fight ourselves? Is it not enough to believe in him, after all? Aslan does not need to be present to offer me strength and courage, at least."

Lucy smiled sadly and nodded at the mouse's deep words. "I suppose you're right, Reep. Thanks for reassuring me. You're an honest friend… And I am truly sorry for hurting-"

"No need to apologize, Queen Lucy!" Reepicheep interrupted with a mighty voice. "There was no harm done, I reassure you. Your heart ached and you spoke its pain. Sometimes, it is necessary to move from darkness into light."

Suddenly the men before them called out to hold and the youngest Pevensie and her guard gazed ahead. About fifty yards away stood two strong, old oaks and stretched out between the canopies. Between the two trunks, something shimmered in the sun light. To Lucy, it looked just like the surface of a soap bubble as it danced through the air. The display of transparent color was beautiful to behold as it appeared beneath the sun's rays.

"Is it the portal?" Caspian asked from up ahead and the Lord Chancellor by his side nodded. The Telmarine king frowned. "I don't understand. Why is the portal still open? Wouldn't the Sorcerer have closed it so that we couldn't follow?"

"My guess would be that the Sorcerer _wants_ us to follow," Peter muttered. "And we'll still be foolish enough to do so."

The bearded man agreed stiffly. With a deep breath, the brave king rode forward towards the shimmering surface of the mysterious portal and as he passed the oaks, he suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Peter and Susan exchanged a hesitant glance and then followed suit with the others right behind. Lucy and Reepicheep rode through last…

* * *

… and into a forest much like the one they had just left. It was hard to believe they had been transported all the way into Calormen in a time span shorter than a heart beat. Truly, it could have been the same forest if it had not been for slight differences in plant life as well as the heat in these lands that seemed to burn even with the sun mostly blocked out by the canopies.

The young queen did a fast head count and exhaled in relief to find everyone accounted for. So far, so good. Before the young queen's ease had a chance to sink in, an arrow flew past her shoulder and her horse neighed in fright.

"Dismount! It's an ambush!" the eldest Pevensie hollered and hurriedly set an example as he leaped from his chestnut horse. On swift legs, Lucy saw her brother run back the line towards her and practically pulled her from the horse to the forest floor.

Swift arrows split the air between the trees relentlessly, but the assailants remained a mystery as they were hidden by the thick greens that surrounded the small group. While the men tried to protect themselves, the horses felt the panic rising and a few of them bolted to safety elsewhere.

Peter pushed his sister forwards as he tried to keep her safe from harms way. A few paces ahead, they joined Caspian and Susan, who stood back to back. The queen had her bow at the ready but seemed unable to focus on a target as the Telmarine king held his own sword high. Right in front of the eldest queen lay Lord Roshan dead, and his blood stained the forest floor from where four arrows protruded from his chest and stomach.

Suddenly, Peter howled in pain and stumbled forward into his sister's arms. Susan caught him deftly as the others noticed the dark arrow that had penetrated his shoulder from behind.

"_Peter_!" the woman breathed and lost focus of the ambush around her as she focused on her injured brother.

"I'm fine," Peter managed between pained breaths and focused on remaining upright for the moment. He staggered slightly but held onto his sister tighter to regain his balance. "It's just a flesh wound."

At that point, the arrows had seized soaring through the skies like rain. Only the Pevensies, Caspian and Reepicheep remained standing after the assault. Somehow, Lucy thought, it had been no coincidence that the attack had stopped so suddenly.

As if on cue, several bowmen appeared between the narrow trees with their bows directed towards the five of them. The bowmen, dressed in dark, billowing clothes and wooden shoes typical of Calormene fashion, stepped closer and Lucy didn't have to count to realize their small group was outnumbered.

"Surrender your weapons and no one else will get hurt," a coarse voice echoed through the woods and a short figure stepped out ahead of the other men. It was a black-dwarf, dressed in the same (though shorter) type of clothes as the others. An unusual leader, the younger girl figured but decided not to voice this out loud as the creature stepped closer.

The queen glanced back and noticed the wordless conversation between her sister and the Telmarine king. At length, Caspian nodded and dropped his sword as Susan lowered her bow. The others dropped their weapons also, though Reepicheep most reluctantly.

The dwarf's smile was sinister and flashed his rotting teeth. "Excellent."

"Who are you?" Susan braved to ask.

"I am Firtkin, son of Forha, and currently your captor," the creature snarled back."The Sorcerer will be pleased I caught you all so easily."

* * *

_To be continued._


	20. Calormen's Grove

**20. Calormen's Grove**

Firtkin led the five sovereigns down the stone steps towards an underground grove in the middle of the small forest. The five of them were tied together by a single rope and guarded heavily by the Calormene archers that waited at ground level to assure no one escaped.

The dark-dwarf glanced behind him as he stopped at the bottom of the steps. "May I introduce the tisroc... may he live forever."

The Pevensies and Caspian looked ahead into the grove. The trees below grew into the sandy roofs above approximately fifteen meters high. All around the room candles were lit along the walls to illuminate the haunting place. Also standing along the walls, were dark-dressed warriors with scimitars in their ready hands. At the very heart of the grove there was no vegetation but there stood a mighty stone table the size of a large bed. Blackened flowers grew along its base like the kiss of death.

Though it was a spectacular scene in its underground setting, something indescribable lingered in the air and touched their hearts. Near to the steps that led down to the sacred area, stood two men in close proximity. One had dark, tanned skin, a greying beard and a strong posture. It was this man that now stepped forward to greet his 'guests'.

"Welcome!" Goraidh spoke with barely concealed glee. Atop his dark hair rested a bright turban and around his arm a band of gold to signify his power. The elder man turned to the Pevensies and bowed his head. "... Welcome _back_, I suppose is a more befitting choice of words for the Kings and Queens of old." The tisroc stepped closer to Susan and his dark eyes sparkled in the warm glow of the candles. "For some of you, it could even have been called a home once, though the place was found wanting."

"It was the _people _I could not live with," the eldest queen breathed and her voice quivered with barely concealed anger.

"Ah... Yes, _Rabadash the Peacemaker_," Goraidh hummed. "Or as we prefer to refer to my ancestor: _The Ridiculous_. A coward and a disgrace as our leader. A true donkey, indeed."

"I see some things haven't changed then," Caspian muttered. The word had but died on his tongue when the tisroc slapped the king harshly with the back of his hand. The queens gasped at the unexpected gesture and the Telmarine man stumbled but recovered his footing quickly. A thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he glared down at the shorter assailant.

The tisroc's glare seemed to burn a hole in the Narnian king as he growled, "_Barbarians..."_

"I remember you," Peter hissed and stepped forward. He'd felt the tension rise and wanted to draw attention away from his friend and back to the matter at hand. "You led the attack on Narnia. You took my brother away. Where is he?"

The voice that replied did not belong to Goraidh. The slithering, hoarse tone instead belonged to the Sorcerer who spoke without stepping forward, "Hidden in plain sight."

The small group of royalty felt their blood chill as they turned their attention to the entity further away. The imposing man wore a long, flowing cape over dark, embroidered clothes. The fist-sized pearl at the top of his scepter seemed to shine like moonlight in the glow of the candles. A thin smirk lingered on his face, while his eyes remained impassive and unimpressed.

"Show him to us!" Lucy bravely commanded on her brother's right.

The Sorcerer smirked in mocking amusement and bowed low before the regents. His long cape flowed in the air around his legs as he turned towards the stone table. The man raised his scepter high into the sky and as he did, Edmund appeared upon the table in a transparent shimmer. The dark-haired boy remained still and his pale skin stood in stark contrast to the darker surface of the stone.

"_Edmund_!" Susan breathed and moved to step forward when a scimitar suddenly pressed against her throat. The young woman barely noticed the guard who had so swiftly reacted, as her gaze remained fixed on her darling brother ahead.

As the magician beheld their reactions, his face suddenly fell. In one fluid motion, he stepped towards the black-dwarf and growled, "You've lost someone on the way."

The dwarf's eyes widened in fear as he gazed about him, looking for the missing animal.

* * *

Reepicheep's short legs carried him swiftly through the low vegetation, keeping him out of sight and out of harms way. His heart hammered inside his small chest as he rushed toward the portal entrance in the middle of the forest.

When the dwarf and the other captors had been preoccupied with transporting the humans, the mouse had managed to slip from sight and hide in the green. If Aslan had blessed him with any luck, the others had yet to realize his escape.

His original plan had been to protect the queens at any and all costs during the coming trials, but High King Peter had given him a special task before setting out from Cair Paravel. The eldest Pevensie had appointed him with the important mission of returning to Narnia and report the danger to the Captain should anything go awry in Calormen. With the Narnian army, they would then rush to aid their king and the Pevensies and finish this once and for all.

Reepicheep haltered between a pair of bushes. He saw the tall, familiar oaks before him now and sighed in relief as he saw the shimmer still lingered between the stems. At least then, hope still remained. He wasted no more time as he sped through the portal and back home.

* * *

"_Ignorant fool_!" the Sorcerer's growl echoed between the trees in the cave like a feline roar and Firtkin cowered back. Evidently, the man understood the implications that had been missed by his servant.

The Sorcerer nodded to the assassin behind Susan, and the scimitar split the air relentlessly. Lucy suppressed a whimper and the elder sister turned the younger into her arms as the head of Firtkin rolled across the grass and stopped a few feet before them.

As all the excitment died down, a low groan disrupted the tense peace of the grove. Everyone turned and gazed at the stone table, where the young king was coming to. Edmund blinked his eyes to try and clear his thoughts from lingering shadows. Realization soon caught up to him as he attempted to rise from the stone table, but found he was held in place by strong, invisible chains. His eyes cleared as he searched for his siblings in the cave. With a mixture of relief and fear, he found them at last at the other end and breathed, "Tell me I'm dreaming."

"Are you alright, Ed?" Peter hurriedly asked and his brother nodded wordlessly.

"Why are you doing this?" Caspian said and his thick accent filled with hatred as he glared at the Calormene tisroc. "Did he offer you Narnia to rule? Surely you must see that the Sorcerer will give you nothing when this ritual is completed. If he gets the magical powers, you will have doomed us all."

Goraidh's smirk was aloof but fleeting, as he replied, "I do not believe you have any powers left to utter such words of ignorance. We shall see, soon enough, who shall rule Narnia into the future."

As Caspian and Peter took to debating with the tisroc, Lucy who was still closely enveloped in her sister's arms, whispered into her ear, "Su… Do you remember last time Edmund was almost sacrificed?"

The elder girl frowned and tried to follow her sister's train of thought. The moment she spoke of had been during their very first visit to Narnia, when Jadis had-… Susan's eyes widened as realization hit her swiftly. She nodded and held her sister's gaze. It was a possibility... Though far-fetched it was. The two of them turned back to the conversation between the men.

"I order you to release my brother," Peter commanded, but his words held no might since he was still a mere prisoner.

"Oh, be quiet!" the Sorcerer snarled back. "I will not postpone my ritual any longer. I brought you here to watch your own demise, so let's get to it. Shall we?"

The large man began to chant in a language no one recognized and held his empty hand outstretched towards the sky. The air around it shimmered slightly as a knife appeared within his firm grasp. The others knew it immediately as the Dagger of the Mist. Within the mysterious blade three different tendrils of dark liquid floated around each other in a morbid dance. The man threw a final glance of conquering delight at the Pevensis before he turned back to the stone table.

"_Stop!_" Susan shouted and the sound echoed hauntingly between the walls. "_Take me instead!_"

The Sorcerer faltered with his back to the small group. Plainly, her request had taken him by surprise and as he turned around, they could see he was genuinely contemplating it. At once, both Caspian and Peter shouted their refusals at the top of their lungs and tried to sway the magician's mind.

"It's _not_ an option!" Peter hollered. "Take me instead!"

"_Silence, boy!_" The Sorcerer hissed and with a wave of the hand, Peter along with his youngest sister and the Telmarine king were thrown back and hit the ground hard. Meanwhile, Susan's bonds were untied and she slowly floated through the air towards the center of the underground grove. "It would only be fair of me to consider the first offer… wouldn't it?"

The woman's heart beat furiously inside her chest as she floated a few inches above the ground, trapped in the man's magical grip. "If I'm to be sacrificed, you will release my siblings and King Caspian without harm."

"_No_!" Edmund growled in desperation. "I won't let you do it, Su! Not for me, not for anyone!"

The young woman glanced down at her brother and as his eyes pleaded with her, her own tried to soothe him. "It will be alright, Ed... All will be well."

The dark-haired boy shook his head in refusal and glared up at the Sorcerer. "If you are anything akin to a man you will not let her take my place! You chose _me _for the sacrifice, and I will not let my sister take my place. Go through with it _as planned_."

"You can't sacrifice yourself for us!" Lucy whimpered as she and the other two had made it back up to their feet to watch the spectacle before them. "Please..."

The Sorcerer interrupted the moment as he finally drew a deep sigh and glared at the dark-haired queen beside him. "Though you drive a hard bargain, my dear, it's not an offer I can accept."

With another wave of his hands, Susan was thrown back through the air and landed on the grass in front of her siblings and Caspian. The latter knelt beside her to make sure she was alright, even as time seemed to slow for the rest.

"No, Edmund, please. No…" she cried as she struggled to her knees and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes, which glistened with unshed tears.

"You said it, Su… All will be well," the younger brother whispered back, tears glistening in his own pale gaze. "If one must die… It's better that it's me than any of you anyway, right?"

"…Edmund," Peter managed before his voice broke and he too knelt down beside his sister, while Lucy clung to his hand. As they held their sibling's gaze, the Sorcerer resumed chanting and the words echoed in the grove.

Edmund felt as if his heart stopped already when he saw the blade shine in the warm rays of the candles. Despite this, he felt no fear. They were in a bind here, there was no other way out. If he allowed himself to be sacrificed, perhaps his siblings could buy the time to regroup and later overthrow the new evils. This way, the could live to save the world and his sacrifice could be worth something good.

For a fleeting moment, Edmund wondered if it this was what Aslan had thought when he had stepped up to take the young king's place and be sacrificed so long ago. The young king let his mind wander to their old friend and lion, hoping the thought alone would give him the strength he needed now.

_Aslan_…

The Sorcerer stood above the king with his hand raised high into the sky. As his voice rose to a crescendo a strong wind blew through the grove and the candles flickered by the walls. The malice in the man's eyes showed Edmund the true entity that hid beneath the surface, and it was colder still than expected. The young man closed his eyes tight.

Just as the Sorcerer was to stab the king, a war cry echoed from the woods above. The Sorcerer halted and everyone turned to gaze up at the small entrance. The Calormene warriors above were all preparing for battle to fight a foe who remained out of sight. The horn that sounded between the trees was undoubtedly Narnian, however. They could hear swords clashing together and arrows being fired in the distance.

The Sorcerer sneered and raised his scepter into the air. The porcelain tip of the magical thing shone bright as a shimmering, transparent wall rose up and covered the entrance to the grove. They saw fired arrows getting stuck in the invisible force field, unable to penetrate the strong defenses that guarded the sacred area.

"No one will pass by that wall," the magician clarified as he turned to glare at the tisroc. "I hope your men are prepared?"

Goraidh bowed his head, and not a second later, another horn echoed through the forest. It was a darker note that belonged to the Calormene army, that evidently had been prepared for an attack such as this.

Susan, Peter, Lucy and Caspian all gazed up through the hole in the ground and helplessly listened to battle outside. They could do nothing but hope the Narnian soldiers would be stronger than their foes.

The Sorcerer smirked menacingly. "Even if your soldiers win, King Caspian X, I will soon kill them with my own two hands. And with a little help of… _magic_."

The dark man wasted no time then as he plunged the dagger into Edmund's heart. Lucy cried out in horror as Caspian held the weeping Susan in his strong embrace. Tears streamed down all their faces as grief overtook their minds.

The second after, mist suddenly exuded from the handle of the magical weapon. The Sorcerer jumped back in surprise as the mist continued to swell out in great proportion. Soon it had covered the entire stone table and no one could see even the shape of it beyond the thick, grey mist.

"What's happening?" Goraidh questioned in a suspicious growl as he drew his scimitar and stepped closer to his ally. "Is it done then?"

The Sorcerer turned around so that everyone could see his scepter. For a moment, the ball at the tip was black as the darkest night, before some of the emerging mist was sucked into the orb. As the others were busy watching the spectacle ahead, Caspian hurriedly disarmed the closest Calormene assassin in silence and used the scimitar to cut himself and the Pevensies loose. As the other assassins took notice of their fallen comrade and stepped forward to fight, the Sorcerer inhaled some of the mist that lingered in the air and let its power fill him to the brim. As he opened his eyes, his irises swirled with tendrils of mist, and there were no pupils visible in the haunting gaze.

"The power of the grove _is _mine…" he breathed to the tisroc and smirked. The sound of Caspian's scimitar clashing with one of the assasin's brought both men back to the present. With a wave of the Sorcerer's hand, the Narnian king flew across the grove and hit the wall hard. With another wave, Peter, too, flew far over to the side and hit a tree.

Susan pushed her younger sister out of her path as she picked up the scimitar the Telmarine king had dropped.

The assassins in her proximity chortled as they saw her tight, fearful grip of the weapon. The young queen knew she wasn't the best of sword fighters, having always preferred the bow. Still, she wasn't about to surrender when her family was in danger. From the corner of her eyes, she saw her sister sneak towards the location where their weapons had been dropped upon their arrival to the grove. Susan hurriedly circled the underground area in the other direction, hoping to draw attention away from her sister.

"One girl… against all of us," the closest assassin hissed and didn't even attempt to hide his glee. "Hardly seems fair."

Susan's heart hammered inside her chest and she mentally tried to slow her breathing back to normal. The battle outside the grove reached her ears and all she heard was death and despair from between the trees. She forced herself to stop listening at once. "I know. You don't stand a chance."

The assassin growled and stepped toward her but a loud voice stopped everyone in the grove and echoed in the ensuing silence.

"Oy! Step away from my sister!"

The brunette faltered and turned towards the stone table, which slowly became visible as the mist faded into nothingness again. She exhaled in relief as she saw Edmund standing by the table and the Dagger of the Mist rested in his palm. He was completely unscathed. By her younger brother's side stood the mighty Aslan himself.

"It cannot be…" Goraidh breathed in dismay. "_It cannot be!_ You _swore_ –" he pointed an accusing finger at the Sorcerer.

"We have not lost yet!" the magician snarled and the victorious smirk was still evident in his features. "I still have unlimited power."

"Yes, well, we'll see about that," Peter spoke. Lucy stood by his side, all of their weapons in her arms. Peter stepped in front of her and raised his sword. "This evens out the odds a bit."

With a war cry of his own, the eldest Pevensie rushed towards the Sorcerer to engage him in a dual, as Lucy rushed towards the others. Susan took her chance and engaged her own opponent in a sword fight. As the Sorcerer ducked Peter's attacks, the youngest Pevensie made it to the other kings and as they took their weapons and rushed off to fight, the young girl hurried to the lion's side.

"You came…" she breathed and hugged the golden feline's wide neck. "Thank you."

Caspian's gaze travelled across the grove even as he engaged other soldiers in battle between the narrow trees. The king constantly kept his eyes flickering between his opponents and Susan battling so far away. As he managed to knock one man down, a sharp pain rushed through his arm and he swiftly turned around. As a trail of blood trickled from the cut, Goraidh smirked with his scimitar raised high. The Calormene's dark eyes seemed to offer the Narnian ruler no other escape but death.

"You are mine, boy, you're going nowhere," the tisroc growled and swung his weapon at the king's head.

Peter swung his sword swiftly and managed to catch the Sorcerer off-guard as his weapon struck its target. The magician gasped in pain as blood stained his dark sleeve. The tall sorcerer covered the wound with his hand and as he lowered it mere seconds later, the Pevensie king noticed how it had healed without a trace. The Sorcerer swung his hand towards the king and Peter once more felt a punch of air throw him back into a tree. Everything swirled round and round for the king as he tried to regain his ground.

Caspian ducked a close call by the scimitar but found the tisroc's fist connected with his jaw instead. He stumbled backwards even as he tasted the iron on his tongue and wiped the blood from his lips. The Calormene tisroc was strong, there was no denying that, and Caspian knew that was not the only thing that reminded him of his uncle Miraz.

"You're good, boy," Goraidh smirked. "If you surrender now, you could serve as a general when I rule Narnia."

"I'll have to consider that generous offer," Caspian mocked and charged once more. The darker, shorter man ducked out of the way and managed to kick the back of the king's knee. As the Telmarine man fell to his knees on the grass, Goraidh circled him as a predator stalks his prey.

Caspian was just to rise from the ground, when a swift figure appeared in his peripheral view. Susan surprised the tisroc as well as she slammed into him, side first. The Calormene man stumbled and almost lost his balance entirely as the brave queen positioned herself between Caspian and Goraidh.

The tisroc turned his surprised gaze on the queen, who held her ground, still with the foreign scimitar in her hands.

"Sorry to interrupt," the brunette breathed, "but Caspian is needed elsewhere. And you and I have a score to settle."

The Telmarine king frowned and gazed about as he saw Peter about to lose against the Sorcerer not far away. The Pevensie king seemed to be crawling away from his opponent and no one else was close enough to aid him.

"_Go_!" Susan ordered without taking her eyes from the tisroc. As Caspian reluctantly jumped from the ground and rushed to Peter's aid, the tisroc smiled.

"You think you can best me?" he asked with plain mockery. "This is certainly not a fair fight. First of all, you're holding that weapon wrong. Your hands are too close together, for someone as small as you, that gives you no strength when you strikes."

The beautiful woman shifted her hands on the handle and shrugged, "Close combat never was my forté."

"I can tell."

The queen glanced past the tisroc's shoulder. "…And the bow was never my sister's."

Goraidh frowned just before pain penetrated his right shoulder and he fell to his knees with an arrow protruding from his back. The man gasped in tense surprise. The eldest Pevensie girl glanced over at her youngest sister close to the stone table, who held Susan's bow in her hands. The elder sister smiled reassuringly at Lucy, and the young girl beamed back.

"You should not underestimate either of us," Susan whispered down at the defeated tisroc as she held her scimitar against his exposed throat. She raised the weapon and struck the handle hard against the tisroc's head and watched as he fell unconscious to the ground.

Edmund cut down a dark-clad opponent and then gazed about the sacred grove. Most of their enemies had fallen, and but a few soldiers and the Sorcerer himself remained standing. As the young king gazed up at the battle in the forest, he realized the Narnians were victorious out there as well. Reepicheep stood with his paws against the force field and gazed down anxously, unable to join them. The mouse nodded once in the king's direction and Edmund returned the favor. The dark-haired boy then turned to gaze at Aslan, but the mightly lion simply bowed as he remained at the edges of the battle. This final battle was not one he would interfere with.

Wasting no more time, Edmund rushed to aid Peter and Caspian fight the Sorcerer, who cast curse after curse against his enemies. The frantic speed of the man's movements spoke volumes of his own growing fear and despair. Evidently, he had realized his predicament as well and knew he was cornered.

"Not as almighty as expected, are you?" Peter asked as he saw his brother join their fight.

The Sorcerer shook his head and breathed heavily. "I am still strong enough to defeat all of you."

He raised his scepter and a whip of fire appeared in a bright flash. He hurled it against the three men, who threw themselves upon the grass in order to escape a quick burning. A few trees behind them caught fire as they gazed about.

"No mortal weapon will kill me now," the Sorcerer spoke and with each word his own stamina seemed to strengthen. "Your only option is to acknowledge your own defeat, or die."

"You first," Edmund said through gritted teeth as he rose before the magician. Caspian and Peter circled the Sorcerer on either side, but their tactic didn't seem to frighten the strong man.

Instead, the Sorcerer turned his mist-filled eyes towards Susan and Lucy who had turned from the tisroc to aid their siblings defeat their great enemy. As the two of them saw the man's gaze, the sisters stopped at once in anticipation of the worst. When he waved his hand this time, the Sorcerer's fiery whip flew in their direction and formed a tight circle in the grass around the young women.

"_No_!" Peter shouted in despair as Caspian ran towards the queens. The two sisters were already coughing violently against the thick smoke that rose from the fire.

"_That_ evens out the odds," the Sorcerer commented dryly.

Suddenly, there was a swift pressure on his hand before the Sorcerer felt a cool breeze greet the palm of his hand. He frowned and turned his gaze at his empty hand. Frantically, he looked around for his scepter and stopped short as he found it in the grass behind it. The porcelain ball at the tip was pierced by the Dagger of the Mist, and the broken pieces of the ball lay scattered on the green grass.

"Magic to undo magic, right?" Edmund asked and the furious Sorcerer turned his full attention on the knife thrower. The young king merely shrugged in innocent sarcasm.

With a final snarl, the Sorcerer drew his sword and advanced on Edmund, but the elder Pevensie stepped in and made the fight short. He plunged his sword into the Sorcerer's stomach and with a fading heart, the old man fell to the ground and drew his last shuddering breath.

* * *

_To be completed!_


	21. All Things End

**21. All things end**

"I'm still not sure how you did it, brother… but I'm glad it worked," Peter spoke in a heartfelt voice and threw his arm around his brother's lean shoulders.

They had returned to Narnia once more, all of them for the most parts unscathed, and the Pevensies along with Caspian, Aslan, Cornelius, Reepicheep and Trumpkin had gathered in the council room to discuss the latest development. Of course, there had been little discussion after Susan had broken into tears and held her younger brother close to her for a long period before relinquishing her hold on him.

Edmund patted his brother's back in return, equally relieved to be alive and shook his head, "I don't know, Peter… One moment I was thinking I was actually going to miss your ugly mugg, and the next… I felt the life leave my body. In the same heartbeat… it returned."

The two brothers turned to face the mighty lion at the head of the table where he stood next to Caspian but Aslan shook his head stoically and smiled one of his trademark, secret grins. "Do not look to me for the answer. I encourage you instead to look within."

The youngest king frowned. "I don't understand."

"I have an idea about what happened," Lucy spoke up from her seat and gazed at the faces around her. "I mentioned it to Susan when we were at the grove. I remembered when Jadis wanted to sacrifice you, Ed, but Aslan took your place. I thought perhaps such a selfless act could help us once more, even though we weren't at the traitor's stead. We were at a sacred, ancient grove with magic older than time. I thought it was possible, at least. I hoped it was."

"Yes, yes!" Cornelius nodded fervently at the girl. "That's right, my young queen. The grove is sacred, but not for dark magic only. And there certainly doesn't exist any lighter magic than a selfless sacrifice such as Edmund's. Perhaps his actions outweighed the evil of the Sorcerer's ritual, after all, and undid the dark deed."

Aslan bowed his head in Edmund's direction. "Your sacrifice was not equal to mine, but it was nonetheless as great. When one is willing to give everything up for others without any thought for oneself, one can invoke the most powerful of good magic."

"Then... we were right?" the young Pevensie queen asked hopefully. Despite the lion's silence, she could not be fooled. Even though he did not give them the answers they were searching for, Lucy was nonetheless certain he possessed the knowledge. She wondered if Aslan merely wanted them to evolve and find out the truth for themselves, without him offering the true tale so easily.

The lion smiled over at the youngest queen and bowed his head at her. "You have touched upon the core of the matter." Aslan then turned back to young Pevensie king and gazed up at him with knowing eyes. "I am proud of you, King Edmund, you have come far from the young boy you were when you first stepped into these lands."

"Thankfully," the dark-haired boy commented smartly with an impish grin.

"Alright," Peter smiled teasingly and poked his brother in the ribs. "I think you've had enough praise for one day. Wouldn't want it to get to your thick head!"

"Heaven forbid!" Edmund joked back. "Then it might get as thick as yours!"

Susan, who stood by the Telmarine king, dried the last of her joyful tears and turned to face the strong lion. "So it's all over then? We're safe?"

"Yes, my queen," Aslan bowed his head. "The threat has been elliminated. Your heart can rest once more."

Trumpkin cleared his throat and the others turned in his direction. "With your permission, my king… The news of your victorious return will have spread to your citizens by now. May I suggest a celebration to honor your victory?"

"Sentimental over our happy return, Trumpkin?" Caspian asked with an amused glint to his eyes. The red-haired dwarf huffed in good humor and muttered something the others could not make out. "I believe that's a wonderful idea. Today we shall celebrate and honor our dead. Though the Calormene army greatly underestimated our troops, the cost of defeat was still many good soldiers. At least now, it will be a long time before the Calormene dare challenge Narnia again."

"I'll see to the arrangements for tonight then. That is… I'll _find someone_ to see to them," Trumpkin bowed deeply before the royalties and left the hall along with Cornelius and Reepicheep.

"Magic to end magic… how did you figure that out, Edmund?" Caspian asked as he turned to his younger friend.

The king shrugged. "Lucky guess. I figured if he couldn't be injured by our weapons, we needed to take away his advantage. His scepter truly was his lifeline, wasn't it?"

The Telmarine king smiled warmly and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Clever thinking."

"A celebration… then I'd better change my dress," Lucy muttered to herself and glanced down at her dirty clothes. They were all still wearing their battle clothes since not much time had passed since their return to Narnian soil.

Peter and Edmund exchanged a look and each lay an arm around their sister's small shoulders.

"Now, Lucy… when you say 'change dress', I hope we're not talking about your last attempt," Edmund said and cleared his throat.

"We hardly call that a dress," Peter said pointedly.

"Oh, you two…" the girl muttered and shrugged off their arms as she briskly headed for the door.

"There is _however_, dearest sister, another option," Peter continued and the girl slowed down curiously. "Reepicheep told us of a certain type of dress young women of Narnia wear these days when they come of age. With the help of the royal seamstress, we had one made especially for you."

Lucy swirled around to face her brothers, evident joy shining in her bright, pale eyes. "You think I'm old enough for that?"

"Aren't you?" Edmund retorted and the girl hurriedly rushed back to hug both her brothers.

As the trio exited, only Aslan, Susan and Caspian remained in the grand stone hall. The queen cautiously gazed at the lion, whose eyes were upon her already. She knew he had read her mind and already was aware of her fears and doubts. In response to her silent pleadings, Aslan merely bowed his head and too exited the hall without another word.

Once the couple was alone, the tall king reached a hand to grasp the queen's tenderly.

"Caspian, what-" the man held his index finger against her full lips and Susan closed her eyes tight, before she dared to look up at him. The king's smile was unmistakably amused by the blush that slowly crept up her cheeks.

"Susan… We have been through much since your return to Narnia this time. I think we deserve to celebrate along with the others before worrying over tomorrow," he said and squeezed her hand in his. As the queen nodded once, Caspian leaned down and kissed her forehead, before enveloping her in a tight embrace.

* * *

A few hours later, Cair Paravel was abuzz with life and celebration of the recent victory abroad.

The sun was slowly creeping towards the horizon, as Caspian found himself alone on a wide, stone balcony overlooking the city. Far below, he could hear the merry songs of his people and could not help but feel his heart elate with their joy and peace. He hoped that peace, this time, could be maintained long beyond these past three years. His mind wandered briefly to the mission he had planned before the Pevensies' return, when he had last believed Narnia to be safe. The quest for the seven lords… Perhaps now, when all was well again, he could finish what he had promised himself and search for the lords. Perhaps, he could even do it with Susan by his side…

The king exhaled as he felt his heart deflate somewhat once more. Though he wanted nothing else, he was afraid he was getting his hopes up to high in that one aspect. He still forced himself to abandon all such toughts from his mind and heart. Any eventual heartbreak could be left for the new dawn, much as he had asked his beloved to stay merry.

"There you are…" Peter's voice suddenly broke Caspian's solitude and he turned to see the Pevensie king stand in the open doorway to the balcony. "Mind if I join you?"

"Please…" The Telmarine waved a hand for his friend to join him in the twilight. Peter walked over to the balustrade and offered him one of the two cups of spiced wine in his hand, Caspian took it most thankfully.

"Don't tell Edmund, but I hid some wine in my chambers," the Pevensie man smirked. "Listen… there was something I wanted to clear up with you…"

"Speak plainly," the king of Narnia encouraged. "Let there never be lies or unspoken words between us."

"Unspoken, no. Unfortunately," Peter grimaced and stared into the bottom of his cup. "It's rather a case of wishing to make somethings _unsaid_."

"Ah…" Caspian nodded in understanding and ran a hand through his short scruff contemplatively. "Are you referring to when you were trying to protect your sister's heart?"

"Mm…" Peter looked quite boyish as he scrunched up his face in search of the right words. "Of course, she was right. I _am _over-protective of her. Of all of them."

The Telmarine took a sip of his wine. "As you should be."

"To a certain point you should always be protective, beyond that however… It wasn't my place to speak out. I had witnessed her heartbreak when she thought she'd lost you… I had however failed to notice how your presence slowly healed her heart. Of course, she was denying it herself at the time. But I should have known better."

Caspian ducked his head silently, unsure how to respond to his friend's words. Peter placed a brotherly hand on the other man's shoulder and waited until the dark eyes rose to meet his gaze.

"You're a great king, Caspian," the Pevensie said and hoped the truth was conveyed in his pale eyes. "And… Look, who knows what will happen now with me and Susan. … I trust you. You're family to us. To me, Edmund, Lucy and, of course, to Susan. Should it come to it, I don't think my sister could ever find a better match than you."

"I'm touched," the taller man smiled genuinely warm inside and held up his cup to toast with his friend. Peter smiled back as he touched their cups together and both men then turned to gaze out at the view.

The sky was darkening above them and you could already see one or two stars twinkle in the endless depths above.

"Of course…" the Pevensie man continued into the evening. "Hurt her and I will hunt you, just as I promised."

"I expect nothing less."

* * *

"Susan, do you like it? Honestly?" Lucy asked in a low voice and felt heat rise to her cheeks. Unconciously, she tugged at the sleeves of her dress and gazed down at it. Not counting the hideous dress she had worn to the last feast, this certainly was the most mature dress she'd ever worn. Peter and Edmund's arrangement was very kind, and the young girl had to admit she did fancy the dress quite a lot. For the first time, it actually made her feel pretty like her sister.

The dress was violet and pink and had a wide neckline, without showing off any cleavage, and clung to her body in a way that created curves she wasn't aware she had.

Susan smiled at her sister and for the first time realized just how grown up her baby sister was. She remembered last time they had been here, and how she had been forced to look down to meet her sister's gaze. Now, Lucy was just about her length, and that didn't include her hight alone. The elder Pevensie girl knew her sister had grown in every sense of the word, inside and out.

"Lucy… you look beautiful," Susan reassured and squeezed her sister's hand. "You look just like mother."

"I do?" there was a light in Lucy's eyes as she beheld her sister.

"_Just _like her. You're beautiful, Li. Soon the boys will be swarming all around you... if they can get close enough with Peter and Edmund guarding you!" the elder brunette said encouragingly and noticed her sister's surprised face. She knew Lucy had never seen her own beauty, but it had always been evident to Susan.

"Thank you, Su… You look pretty, too, of course!"

Susan wore a dress made of two golden colored fabrics that hugged her slim shape wonderfully. Atop her head reasted a simple, gilded tiara, which made her appear all the queen she was. Her long hair was down and slightly curly, but despite her sister's flawless appearance, Lucy for the first time didn't feel jealous of her sister. For the first time, she instead felt as her sister's peer in that respect.

"Shall we join the others?" Susan asked and offered her arm to her sister who smiled from ear to ear in reply.

* * *

"I don't believe it…" Edmund greeted his sisters as they descended the stairs.

"Don't believe what?" his younger sister frowned as they came to a halt before him.

"That Peter and I could possibly be related to you two," the dark-haired boy smiled and offered one arm to each of his sisters. "You both look very lovely this evening."

"Thank you, Edmund," Susan smiled as she accepted his arm.

"I said '_this evening_', Su. You might not be tomorrow," the cheeky boy commented and both sister slapped the back of his head. He cringed and suppressed the grin on his face as he led them over to the balcony. As they walked out into the cool evening air, Peter and Caspian turned in their direction.

The eldest Pevensie hurried over to compliment his youngest sister, as Susan released Edmund's arm and joined the Telmarine man by the balustrade.

"You look…" the handsome king seemed at a loss for words and the queen was grateful the darkness of the evening hid most of her blush. Caspian stepped closer to her and gently pressed his lips to her cheek, she in turn leaned closer still to savor the moment. For all she knew, this could be the very last time she could be this close to the man she had grown to love with all her heart.

"The sentiment goes both ways," she mumbled back and took in his own appearance. He wore a purple shirt rich with golden embroidery and it suited his strong face, long hair and short scruff perfectly. He still took her breath away with his mere appearance and Susan relished in that thought.

Edmund, Peter and Lucy joined them by the balustrade and looked down. All through the city, small beacons had been lit in honor of the fallen men who had died in the battles by the grove, but still the joy of the victory echoed through the crowds below and music danced through the evening.

"I'm glad that, despite _everything_ being different this time around… we still came out on top," Edmund admitted to the night and gazed up at the stars in the clear sky.

"I have come to realize," the mighty voice of Aslan spoke from somewhere behind all of them, and the five of them turned to see the lion sit on the balcony behind them, illuminated by the light from inside, "… that all five of you are capable of much more than you believe yourselves. Though you trust in others, you must all grow to trust more in yourselves."

"Aslan…" Edmund smiled tensely and threw a glance at his siblings. "Are you here to celebrate with us or…?"

By his side, his siblings, too, stiffened as their brother's voice trailed off into the night. They all shared the same fear that the mighty feline would send them back to England so soon. The lion smiled warmly and the Pevensie siblings felt their fears wane.

"Yes, tonight I am here to celebrate with you," the lion assured. "I would like to see you tomorrow morning in the Pevensie garden. But do not to worry for tomorrow today. Please, enjoy this victory. You have earned nothing less."

The lion rose and bowed deep before the kings and queens before he walked back inside. For a minute, there was only silence between the group on the balcony as all were lost in their own world.

"I haven't had a chance to properly talk to Trumpkin since our return!" Lucy proclaimed all the sudden. "Peter, Edmund, will you join me in my search for our DLF?"

The brothers happily agreed and soon disappeared inside with their sister, leaving Susan and Caspian alone on the balcony. The silence lingered between them a few seconds longer as the sounds of the celebration below grew louder, before the brunette stepped closer.

"Will you…" the queen began hesitantly. Without thought, or perhaps with too much thought, she played with one of the buttons of his shirt. She felt her cheeks burn like a mild fire as she invaded his personal space and tried to keep her mind clear, "... stay with me tonight? Unless, you don't want to?"

The man leaned his forehead against hers as his hands ran up and down Susan's arms. He leaned close to her ear and breathed, "Oh, I do."

Susan smiled and her eyes fluttered shut as his breath tickled the side of her neck. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"And would you just please... kiss me?" the woman whispered as one of her hands travelled to the back of his neck and she tugged him closer.

"You need never ask for that, my queen," Caspian smiled and pressed his lips against hers with all the love he could muster.

* * *

For all of them, the next morning came far too soon and the joys of the celebration ended quickly along with the birth of a new day. As the sun slowly ascended on the sky and the birds flew to wake everyone still asleep, the Pevensie siblings gathered in the small, familiar Pevensie garden.

Peter sat on the bench, with his gaze turned up into the tree's young crown. Beside him, sat Susan and distantly twirled a pale, pink flower between her fingers. Over on the low, stone wall both Lucy and Edmund reclined, back to back with each other. None of them said a word, though their hearts and minds were thinking the same thing. Not even the serenity of the garden could ease their troubled thoughts.

Suddenly, Edmund sat up straight. "Someone's coming."

All four looked towards the entrance of the garden as both Caspian and Aslan walked into the serene garden.

"I have asked King Caspian X to be with us for this, for he deserves to hear what I have to say," Aslan explained as the Telmarine man walked over to the bench and placed a hand on Susan's shoulder in support.

"Will you…" the queen swallowed and forced her voice to be steady. "… send us back now that we have accomplished our task here?"

"I told you last time, Queen Susan, that you and King Peter had learned all you could from this world," Aslan began solemnly as he held the queen's gaze.

"It's not fair!" Caspian breathed and knelt down beside the woman. His dark eyes shone with emotion and the gentle queen reached out a hand to touch his cheek. She remembered their last goodbye and felt nasty tears sting her eyes already. She had been expecting this day since she returned, but despite this her heart was not prepared for it. For the first time, she wished her rational mind had been wrong in predicting their return to England.

She whispered into the man's ear, "I'm glad we had more time together."

The king's smile was bittersweet as he nodded faintly and pulled back an inch. It was evident their last goodbye was on his mind also. "Me too."

"I suppose," Susan's lower lip quivered. "…it's time to say goodbye."

From the entrance of the garden, Aslan raised his voice, "Shall you keep interrupting me, or will you let me speak?"

Everyone turned their attention back to the lion. The eldest Pevensie queen felt confusion rise in her wounded heart. "I thought…"

"_Last time_," Aslan repeated and there was a twinkle to his kind, golden eyes. "...was long ago. When you were summoned back to Narnia now, you changed much that would have been. And you have clearly learned more about yourselves. All of you. These lands now have more to offer you. Possibilities unseen before, possibilities created by yourselves this time."

"What do you mean?" Caspian began and tried to voice his hopes that got caught in his throat. "Are you saying she will return to Narnia one day?"

"I am saying, last time I interrupted something before its time was up. This time, I leave the decision entirely into your hands."

The Pevensies all found themselves dumbstruck as they gazed between each other. Once more, it was the Telmarine king who found the words the others could not. "Do you mean she can _stay_ then? Forever?"

"Forever," Aslan clarified. "If she chooses it."

Susan could not help but recall the devilish foresight _the Erinye_ had shown her and whispered, "Aslan, if I stay-"

"I know your fears, dear one," the lion interrupted. "Do not worry. To give up one life does not mean to settle for a lesser one. No, I believe this is the far superior choice for all of you."

"Ehm, question," Edmund cleared his throat, "…when you say '_all of you'_, you do mean…?"

Aslan smiled and shook his head, "The sons of Adam always ask questions they know the answers to already. All of you can stay, yes. If you choose it."

"_Hell yes_!" the Pevensie king practically shouted and then met the lion's gaze. "I'm sorry. I mean… we'll consider it."

"Bear in mind, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, that this decision is not to be taken lightly. It will mean leaving behind your lives in England. You may _never_ return there if you should decide to remain in these lands. Your life in Narnia will become your reality, and not your escape."

"We lived here for many years once, Aslan," Peter spoke thoughtfully as he gazed between his siblings beaming faces. "I think I speak for all four of us when I say that those years… was the only time we've ever felt truly alive and at home. We belong in Narnia."

"After everything you have done for Narnia, you, more than any other, deserve to have your wishes granted," Aslan bowed his strong head. "You may all stay then."

Lucy skipped off the wall with a huge smile on her lips. "I have to tell Reepicheep!"

"And Trumpkin! I don't want to miss the dwarf's tear fest when he hears the great news!" Edmund jumped down and the two hurriedly rushed out of the garden.

"Hey! Wait for me! Lu! Wait up, Ed!" Peter jumped from the bench, bowed once to Aslan and then rushed after his siblings.

As Caspian took Peter's place on the bench, Susan turned her gaze to meet the lion's.

"Thank you, Aslan…"

The lion nodded before exiting the garden the same way Edmund, Lucy and Peter had just rushed off. Susan swore she heard the lion's rumbling laughter echoe between the pillars as the happy shouts of her siblings sounded further up ahead.

Caspian grasped her hand in his and the queen turned towards him with a wide grin on her face. She'd never been this happy and she wanted the Telmarine man to know he was the main reason for that.

"I never want to leave," she promised and threw her arms around his shoulders without giving him a chance to react.

"And you'll never have to," the man said and his voice was muffled against the masses of her long, dark curls. He grabbed hold of her arms and gently pushed her back far enough so that he could see her joyous expression once again. Caspian knew the same joy was matched only by the look on his own face.

"It's a wonderous thing," the Pevensie girl mused and her eyes danced across her loved one's face. "…when your greatest fear is overcome and removed from your path. It's like I can finally breathe…"

"Peace of mind suits you," Caspian commented in amusement and kissed her cheek gently. "Susan… I admit, I dont know what traditions are to be taken into consideration for what I'm about to offer. You're already a Queen of Narnia, as you and your siblings always will be. I wonder, however… if you'll do me the honor of also becoming my most beloved wife?"

Susan's reply was swift and short as she passionately pressed her lips against his and it was a long while before she pulled back to breathe. Her eyes danced like starlight as she nodded, "You need never ask for that. The answer is _yes_!"

"_Together_, Susan," the king began as a wide grin spread across his face, "we'll lead our people in a new Golden era as King and Queen of Narnia."

The young woman laughed as Caspian pulled them both onto the grass beside the young tree. As the Telmarine man rolled on top of the queen, she happily embraced her fiancé. As he teasingly kissed her neck, the man held her close in an embrace that spoke of a promise. A promise that she would never have to part from his side.

Susan was certain her new life in Narnia would be a constant adventure, and certainly not safe all the time, but along with her siblings and Caspian, she felt ready to face all that would be thrown their way.

* * *

_The end._


End file.
